Aaron's Bachelor party
by Loveforthestory
Summary: With a wedding in Willoughby. With Charlie as his best man. With a lot of Miles and Bass. With a weddingplanner, strippers, cake and whiskey. With a lot of banter. With a lot of Monroe. With a Bass helping Charlie with an high heel emergency. With a lot of Charloe.
1. Espresso's and Monroes

_Espresso's and Monroes_

Aaron holds a leaf shaped silver object to an old espresso machine. And his heart skips a beat when he hears the sound that he had forgotten over the years and takes in the scent of coffee. The middle of the leaf shaped object lights up briefly.

It is not very good coffee, he has to admit it is not the great stuff he once made in his apartment or in his office.

He had worked for hours, repairing the machine. He found the old espresso machine in an abandoned house, standing sadly and alone in the kitchen and a couple of month later he found an old stash of coffee forgotten in a cabinet somewhere.

And this morning, he is enjoying his cup of very early coffee in a silent house where his _wife soon to be his wife for the second time_ is sleeping upstairs.

That excitement over his new coffee secret had not been long on his face the moment Miles had found out about his tiny secret he kept from anyone else.

Aaron swears, Miles is like those dogs they once used at the airport, but then a General trained to find whiskey and, _apparently,_ coffee.

Of course, where Miles is, the asshole of the century is. Monroe had been right behind Miles that morning. Monroe had grinned at Aaron, called him Staypuft with that arrogant wide smirk of his, looked with a watering mouth to the coffee, which caused Aaron to look at Monroe and mutter _dick_ under his breath, aimed at Monroe. Miles had called everyone to order with a _be nice kids_. Aaron then had to watch how Monroe and Miles both had confiscated a cup of coffee without even asking, sitting down at his kitchen table, with Miles boots firmly planted on top.

Aaron is almost finished with his coffee as he hears the voices of a couple of forty something men children walk up the porch, bitching and whining about some meeting with Blanchard.

He knows what they are here for. _His_ coffee. He sighs heavily and looks with a sad face to the coffee he has left, as the porch door swings open and Bass and Miles step into the small kitchen.

'Ah, the smell of coffee in the morning...almost as good as whiskey.' Miles says, already walking to the coffee machine Aaron tries to shield from him.

'Won't argue with that brother,' Bass adds, his eyes smiling and that stupid grin annoying Aaron to no end, 'Goodmorning Staypuft.'

Aaron counts to about ten million in his head.

Then he tells himself that he gets this married this week, and it calms him down. He remembers the look on Priscilla's face again as he had asked her if she wanted to do something really crazy and marry him again. Apparently she was in, and it had lead them here, in the week where they would exchange their I do's again.

Today is the kickoff of a week of plain crazy, family, and wedding preparations. And talking about preparations, he hears part of that preparation stomping down the stairs, as she had stayed over as a night of preparing and arranging ended up in whiskey and good stories and a spare bed for her in the guest room.

Bass looks up at the sound coming from the stairs. He sees long legs first, fucking bare, leading up to a simple black cotton sleep dress dangling just over her hips. Wild curls move around her shoulders and he watches her narrow her eyes at the light when she stomps of the chairs. All Miles, all hung over. And all kinds of fucking forbidden hot.

Charlie walks into the kitchen.

'Good, everyone is here.' She sounds hoarsely and with a pulsing dull headache and sarcasm and not being amused that the kitchen is already full. Full with Miles. _And him._

She ignores them as she walks to a kitchen cabinet and grabs a coffee mug. Then she moves back to the coffee maker, with her eyes half closed and looks annoyed at the many buttons on the display and her forehead turns into a frown. Aaron had promised her coffee, he had not told her it would be _this h_ ard to get to that nice pretty coffee.

'Seriously?' She says, magnifying her headache only more.

Bass has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep a straight face at all the adorableness of Charlie trying to figure out how to get to her coffee in front of him. God, he has seen Miles many times like this, unable to figure out any kind of electric shit that involved more than an on/off switch.

Charlie grunts in frustration. Then, with Aaron's help she has finally found the right button and coffee starts to fill her cup. She moves her hands around the warm mug and then her eyes fall into the small amount of coffee in her cup.

'Aaron, what the hell is this?'

'That is an espresso?'

She looks up with an annoyed face at Aaron.

'And would that be Italian for hardly enough caffeine?'

Charlie hears Miles and Monroe snort behind her. She isn't.

She is looking at a day filled with her mom caught with a wedding plan virus, morning through afternoon and she really, _really_ needs something to get her through it. She is a Matheson but she even considers 7 Am a bit too early to start with the booze. She needs this coffee. Now.

'Aaron you don't understand the severity of this.' She moves the cup closer to his face, 'I need more than this because I need to spend the whole day with my mom and since these morons over here,' she nods at her uncle and said uncle's best friend, drank all the whiskey in the house, maybe even in the damn town coffee is what has to pull me through.'

Her voice is peaking in an unusual tone for Charlie.

'Look at our little coffee addict,' Miles teases her, but Charlie has no time for this shit. She shoots him daggers and thunder with her eyes, making Miles enjoying himself even more.

Aaron starts to take pity on her. Charlie has to spend a lot of time with Rachel and although he considers her a good friend, well, even he had to admit, Rachel can be a bit intense these days.

'All right, all right...shhh,' Aaron sooths her, 'Uncle Aaron will make you a second cup.'

Miles looks to his right, as the look on his niece's face is becoming too much while Bass just grins like an idiot.

Bass is surprised he is even in the damn wedding thing. He has been bitching and whining about it nonstop, but the truth it is, he gets to spend time with his kid _and_ best friend, drink a lot of good shit, realise that Staypuft is not _that_ bad _and_ he is able to watch a lot of Charlie being annoyed and being pissed off at Rachel. It is kind of fucking good.

At that point, a man in his early fifties walks in. Crisp white shirt, well fitted pants, dark hair and sharp and early, full of energy.

'Oh honey, you should not frown like that.' He gestures to the lines around Charlie's eyes with his hand, 'not good for the skin.'

'And who are you?' Charlie asks, blue eyes annoyed at so much straight honesty without sounding truly mean.

'You must be Charlotte, I heard so much about you. I am Anthony.' He steps towards her, ignoring her raising of her eyebrow as he shakes her hand. Charlie looks at him clueless. Anthony is starting to lose his patience. 'The weddingplanner?'

Bass takes a suck of breath in, hearing how the guy, wedding planner, _whatever_ , is calling her Charlotte. Well, she is going to love that.

Charlie throws Monroe a dirty look from the corner of her eyes, not missing his smirk. Aaron replaces her now empty cup with a new one in her hands as she sips the coffee happily.

Anthony ignores all the looks of thunder from Miles and Bass and shakes hands with them like they are all old friends.

Making Miles uncomfortable as hell within a minute and when Connor appears into the doorway, Aaron is sighing even more because of Monroe junior and the speed his coffee is running out.

Anthony turns his attention to Connor as he throws Connor an appreciating look. 'Wow, hello, did you get of the pretty train this morning?'

Connor scratches the back of his head with his left hand with a surprised look and before he can answer Anthony has turned to Charlie.

'Oh hon, you are one lucky gall with all these guys around you.' His mouth drops as he takes another look at Connor, and his voice is very, very serious.

'Oh, I am. Very.' Charlie responds. The sarcasm drips of her every words like honey as she throws him a smirk, just like the rest of the guys inside the kitchen.

Anthony makes an approving sound at her answer, missing the obvious mocking in Charlie's voice. He moves the large book that is his wedding organizer, he has been holding onto as a lifeline, onto the kitchen table.

'Anyone who touches this without my permission is dead.' He says loudly. Bass and Miles just nod, they like the guy more by the minute. This guys is taking his organizing shit serious. They can respect that.

'Seriously,' he then turns to Connor. 'Does not matter how pretty you are, how good you look. Touch it, and I will break your fingers.'

He starts explaining to them all about what has to be done, mentioning how little time there is. When Bass makes an annoyed amused sound Anthony looks up at him firing eyes and a pissed of face.

'Excuse me, the wedding is in three days, there is no time for that attitude.'

He points with a couple of fingers towards Bass, as this time Charlie can't hide her snort that moves through the kitchen.

Anthony does not even blink as he looks at Bass before he turns to his organizer again and the next fifteen minutes are filled with scheduling, drinks, guests, organizing, ordering people around and colours of flowers and dresses.

Then they reach the topic of the Bachelor party. Aaron's eyes behind his glasses fill with a hint of worry all of a sudden.

'Uhm Charlie, I know you are my best man, but you are not going to euhm..' oh god, he is not sure he can have this conversation with the girl he remember in pig tails with a straight face and without blushing, ' arrange some dancing naked ladies entertainment, right? You know that is not necessary.'

'Uh, the hell it is Staypuft,' Bass grunts, a look of disappointment in his eyes.

The stripper part, together with the unlimited drinking with Miles part, is always the best thing about weddings.

'Nah, I am just a dumb naive kid, I would not know how to get a stripper Aaron,' Charlie says, a sugar sweet tone in her voice.

As Aaron lets out a breath of relief, Bass almost chokes. Oh he has seen the grin that appears on that face of hers before, when Aaron turns away from Charlie, clearly reassured for now. It is a big fucking grin that make her eyes smile and his cock stir.

He looks at her, her in that black cotton sleep dress, her face filled with just waking up and still beautiful as hell as she catches his eyes for less than a second, still grinning, still god damn beautiful.

He had felt her eyes as magnets, unable to look away from her the moment she had told him he was delusional. Not sure if he was going to strangle her for talking to him like that, or yank her with him, put her against a tree and start to fuck her brains out. After Vegas that connection had been lost as she had clearly made a choice with Connor. Although when they returned from Vegas four days later, things between her and Connor had already cooled down and since his kid was screwing his brains out with other ladies from Willoughby the past couple of months after the war, he had assumed it was really over.

He had just wanted to hurt her after that trip, as he had not even exchanged one single thing with her anymore. That friendship or whatever the fuck they had, was gone. But after he had been ready to put a bullet into Tom Neville's brain, and he had stood next to a train with her, she had locked eyes with him near barrels of mustard gas. And she had been fucking blowing him away. The moment he had asked her, with only his eyes, to get Gene to his feet after losing Marion, her eyes had filled with pain of another memory. But then, she had complied. She had answered him with her eyes and did what he had asked her to do. And just like that, they had been whatever they had been before.

Her loud laughter at something Antony said pulls him out his train of thoughts. Fuck, he wishes he could stop whatever the fuck he felt for her.

He can't.

And this whole week of coffee, weddings and good times with Miles, makes him remember another version of him. The Bass he once was. The one with a lighter heart, the one that loved to flirt with anything with a heartbeat.

Now he has to fight the urge to flirt with her.

'We have to get going,' Anthony says, looking at Charlie and Aaron. Aaron looks a bit pale at the never ending list of things to do today and Charlie, Charlie just looks miserable all of a sudden as she knows she will see her mom soon.

'Best day of your fucking life, right StayPuft?' Bass can't help but to rub it in Aaron's face.

He is about to do the same to Charlie, an easy line already forming in his mind about Rachel going all kinds of crazy, but something in Charlie's face, stops him, makes him shut his mouth.

'Dick,' Aaron mutters.

Charlie walks quickly upstairs to change into a pair of jeans and an easy shirt. Leaving Miles, Connor and Bass in the middle of a story about a bride from hell that Anthony had once had to get through her wedding, that Antony is telling with a lot of passion. Miles throws her a _really kid_ l just before she walks out of the kitchen.

When she is back and dressed, she walks with Anthony , Aaron and a lot of dread to face her mom in the middle of her organizing thing towards the door. Then she stops and listens as both Anthony and Aaron move on to the porch and into the garden. Then she turns back and walks into the kitchen, her hand on the doorway, her face appearing again.

'Ten o'clock. They will be there at ten.' She hisses at Miles, Bass and Connor. 'Miles throws her a look a confusion which make her roll her eyes. ' God Miles, the strippers.'

'They...they?' Bass' voice sounds husky as his eyes go very serious all of a sudden.

'So you _did_ find some casual naked ladies dancing entertainment?' Miles says with a smile on his face.

She rolls her eyes at him. Of course she has. 'What kind of best man would I be if I did not arrange some kind of stripper entertainment?

'Well, she is a Matheson now.' Bass smirks, as he purses his lips and looks at Charlie who shoots him a glare between pissed at him in general and amused.

'So, there is going to be one more than one?' Miles says with a smile in his eyes.

'Oh yeah. I have managed to find three of them, Crystal, Lilly and Missy.' And then she lets her eyes rest on Monroe a little too long, 'you know, so you guys don't have to fight over the same woman.'

And holy fucking shit. She knows. He just fucking knows she knows. _Rache_ l. Bass gives Connor a dirty look. Who looks back at him with an innocent face. Reminding himself he will never ever tell his kid anything anymore.

So Charlie knows about the night, the mistake of the fucking century in the history of ever, with Rachel. She knows and yet he is still here, very much alive and breathing and standing on his feet. That's a surprise.

He wishes he had something in his hand as he was just able to swallow like some moron and look pathetically to the floor.

Charlie can't hide the grin that spreads inside of her. Seeing Monroe squirm like some afraid kitten helps with all the dealing with what would come next with the wedding preparations stuff later.

Charlie knows. Oh she has always known. These morons think they are all so good in hiding shit from her. But the way her mom acted around him, she quickly figured it out. It is not an image she wants to hold on too long, but she knows there has been a lot of shit in the past, and this was one example of that. She also knows Bass thinks Miles does not know. But Charlie knows he knows too.

She is not the stupid young kid they take her for most of the time. She feels the dynamics.

But she also feels it is in the past, and that her mom belongs to Miles. She is also realistic enough to know herself, that a night with someone, can mean absolutely nothing or happened for reasons they maybe should not.

She looks from Bass to Miles, as the moments passes.

'That is not going to be uncomfortable at all, you know, Aaron in the same room as a couple of strippers.' Miles makes a face, sarcasm dripping of his words.

'Char!' A voice comes through the kitchen door from the porch outside.

She rolls her eyes at the nickname Anthony already found for her.

'Coming!' She yells, and with that she is out of the door.

'Well,' Miles looks from Bass to Connor, 'This is all going to be very festive.'

* * *

 **Author's note** Thanks for reading! As you can see, this is a light story with a lot of fun with all my favourite characters I love to write. I love writing it and there will be much more: strippers, a Bachelor party, an ugly bridesmaids dress, a Charlie on fire and a lot of Charloe! If you have some time, feedback or a review is always welcome! Love from Love


	2. Heels and banter with Monroe

Charlie looks at herself in a mirror. Anthony is standing right behind her. It is an early morning on their second day of counting down to the wedding of the year.

She is wearing a tight light blue jeans. She put her long dark blonde hair carelessly in a messy knot on the top of her head this morning after waking up. Her locks that normally flow loosely over her shoulder blades are still in that knot.

She wears dark brown leather ankle boots, with small heels. Somehow she has to get used to being in jeans and heels that make her feel just a bit taller and stronger. But then somehow, she feels more like herself too.

Her eyes fall on the words printed on the light grey shirt she is wearing. And she smirks to her own reflection in the mirror.

 _I am a Charlotte._ Black letters are printed on a grey cotton shirt.

Anthony looks at Charlie. 'Well, you are rocking that shirt hon.'

He found the shirt when he was shopping in Austin when preparing for Aaron's and Priscilla's wedding. It was a long forgotten piece of merchandise for a tv show and culture now almost forgotten. The shirts had been a big hit when the tv show had been everywhere and everyone loved to talk about it.

The art of shopping had faded. He still remembers the glamour and thrill of how it all used to be. But hey, someone had to be strong, so he held his head up high and still called it shopping these days.

Charlie places a hand on her hips. Anthony had walked into the room with the shirt a bit earlier. A wide smile on his face. He had told her about a TV show from years ago. About four single woman who lived their lives in New York, being all fierce and strong. And one of them, her name was Charlotte. She tried to remember how Anthony had called the show. There was something with sex and a city.

'Sex and _the City_ , Char.' Anthony sighs, reading her mind. Annoyed at her short term memory for these kind of important fact she should remember.

'God Char, those delicious men guarding you like with their lifes may be good at fighting and looking hot, but you are lucky I am here now to teach you all _these_ things.'

Charlie rolls her eyes at him at how he keeps on mentioning her uncle, and maybe even worse, Monroe like that. Her guys.

'I Saw that.' Anthony says strongly as he watches her face. 'Good shirt Char. Good body too.' He says with appreciation. He narrows his eyes a bit.

'Although you still definitely look like a Carrie.'

Charlie has no idea what he is talking about, but she can't help but smile. She is not sure if she, as a Matheson, should smile this much. She is starting to like Anthony. Fast. He fills her mind with more than fighting and struggles.

She listens how he rambles on about Carry, and Charlotte, and Miranda and a city she knows just from postcards.

 _I am a Charlotte._

She looks at the words again. She loves knowing more about that show. But what she loves even more is the idea of walking with _this_ shirt on in the room where _he_ will be too. Monroe. Something to yank his chain.

For all the times he yanked hers and called her Charlotte. Her name rolling of those lips of him in an infuriating broody smouldering way. His low voice is way too close in her head all of a sudden. She shakes that thought away.

 _Charlotte_. In that pool, in many stupid discussion where he acted all delusional. All the times he called her that.

She will walk into their next meeting which is about ten minutes away with this shirt on. The place where the letters are placed in the middle of the shirt, _right over her breasts_ , is only adding more to the sweet anticipation of knowing he will squirm like a pathetic kitty as she will walk in.

'Okay Char, time to get moving.' Anthony turns to grab his organizer and walks out of the door.

Charlie grabs her leather jacket from the chair and holds it loosely in her hand. Everybody else is waiting in their marriage headquarters, where she suspects Miles and Monroe hang out mostly because of the whiskey they share like a couple of kids share their toys. Their banter is kind of sweet to see, in a childish kind of way, now she can see brotherhood shine through. So they drag their asses in to drink booze, nag about wedding planners and pink shit and then run those asses out of the door the moment her mom walks in with more wedding planner and pink shit stuff.

Anthony looks at the young woman next to him. Oh this girl is strong. With a warm heart she carries around in many layers of protective grins and stubbornness. .

He doubts she even knows how beautiful she actually is. He also doubts she knows how very much the men he sees around daily care for her. Like care care. Because they do.

That Miles guy, all sarcasm, all protectiveness over his niece. Connor, with his dark curls, cocky shit but a good heart who is a magnet for girls around town but shows how much of a friend he is for Charlie in small gestures. That dangerous delicious Monroe guy with eyes that linger a bit too long on Charlie to be just casual looks. Eyes from Monroe that Anthony watches make every guy around her take a turn in a different direction after Monroe throws them looks of steal, to every guy that comes even close to Charlie.

And maybe Monroe and Char are in a sweet city called denial, but he sees it. He knows three things: how to plan a wedding, how to shop with stamina and people.

They just have to figure their shit out. _Oh the drama_ , he sighs. But one week of crazy wedding , a lot of alcohol and family, well, he just knows, the shit will eventually hit the fan.

He sighs heavily at all the delicious drama waiting to happen, making his job a whole lot interesting as he closes the door and follows Charlie out of the door to their next meeting.

* * *

Charlie walks through the hallway, as she can hear her mom talking things over with Priscilla, as Miles plays with his life and makes a well placed sarcastic line about decorations. She does not have to be in the same room to picture the death glare her mom is giving Miles right now.

Miles needs a drink after Rachel turns away from him and gets back to her planning and talking with the soon to be Misses Pittman.

'Do they ever get tired of...' Miles looks in agony as he waves his hand at all the wedding shit in pastel and pink that lies on the table., '...all this shit?'

Priscilla and Rachel keep on talking with enthusiasm in the background.

'They are chicks man. Chicks like to talk about this shit. A lot.' Bass answers, amused to see his brother in agony.

'And of course with Rachel, she will take planning to a whole new ...' he is about to finish it when Miles cuts him of.

'All right Bass, that's enough.' Rachel throws a cold look towards Bass and Bass gives her a _Like I care for all of your shit_ look back.

When they boys decide to sit and wait and have their first, well that is not true, third drink of the day, Bass hears the sweet sounds of heels.

Both men look up to the door, like boys who cannot help themselves at the sound.

Bass sees her first. Her hair is different, revealing her neck now she moved into a sexy as hell bun on her head. Those jeans work for her and those heels, smoking. fucking hot. But then, after he sits there with his mouth a bit open, he sees it. The shirt. _I am a Charlotte._

He swallows as he sees the daring look in her eyes that she combines with a grin from hell that makes him need to do things to her badly. As he realises he has not only been reading the words on her damn shirt, but that he is also looking straight at her tits.

With Miles next to him.

Miles needs exactly three seconds to slap him on the back of his head. Hard.

Charlie watches Monroe. Darker eyes, stronger jaw lines as his attention is all on her. She watches him look at her, and she likes to see him swallow hard. Uncomfortable Monroe is a fun Monroe to watch. Especially because he does not see Miles' hand behind him, ready to smack him straight on the head.

'Miles, seriously?' He whines at Miles slapping him as he moves a hand over the back of his head.

'You were checking out my niece. Don't. do that.' Miles voice is serious as he pronounces each and every word with a deadly precision.

'So you like the shirt Monroe?' Charlie says, widely grinning, hand on her hip.

Before he can answer she continues. 'Because it is my new favourite. Picked it out especially for you.' She pouts a bit at that last word.

Miles openly catching Monroe checking her out, is something that would use to fill her with loathing. Now, it just feels a wildly all kinds of good. It makes her feel in control.

God, this is fun, she likes it. It used to be all hate and loathing that he managed to edge the sharpest pain off until it changed into something else.

With him fighting with them, with him fighting for her, coming back for her and saving her life. With silent concern from him, crude remarks that made her want to slap his face. With long stares, his shoulders close in a fight or near a fire when she needed it most. With all of that, Sebastian Monroe, Monroe, Bass, he had pulled her, them both into a new place.

She still likes him to suffer, but somehow the stakes in this game had changed, and the banter, the eye locks, the daring words board lining too much, were swirling inside of her. Forming into new darker dangerous things she felt low in her belly, new banter that was moving between them.

He does not know where the hell she got his shirt, but her name, the name that he only uses for her, his, only his. There on that shirt is a invitation to more raw banter and her noticing he only calls her that. It should not shoot straight to his chest by that weird pull between them.

His voice is hoarse when he speaks again, too hoarse. He curses at hearing his own voice.

'Oh I think it is adorable, Charlotte.' His eyes light up, as the tone of his voice and his eyes betray there is more than adorable there. She knows it, he knows it. _Dammit._

'Good.' She says with a sugar sweet voice as she turns away from her. The air between them filling with that weird locking electricity.

The Anthony storms in, walking past Charlie and moving in front of Monroe. She watches him lock his jaw before reality kicks in. Bass and Miles drink some more as Charlie eyes fall on the list her mom is making on the table. She almost groans as the smile disappears from her face and the endless list her mom is not even close to finishing.

'What Charlie? This is important.' Rachel simply says.

' _Jesus_ mom, seriously?'

At that point, Aaron walks in. 'Kiddo, if we get to the church in like five minutes, I would really appreciate it if you did not use one of your favourite words that much. You know, out of respect to Jesus himself. Or maybe don't mention him like at all.' Aaron thinks about his own words and nods to himself in agreement as he looks at Charlie. ' Yeah, that would be simply terrific.'

Now, Charlie looks annoyed. 'Do I use that word a lot?' A frown appears on her face. ' No I don't.'

'Yeah, you do.' Both Miles and Bass say right behind her. Two low voices that combine and annoy her even more.

Leaving her stomping her heelsout of the room with annoyance, and Bass with one hell of a view with a furious Charlie in that shirt and those heels. Miles pinches his nose as he grinns at his niece's annoyance and the rest of the day that is still in front of them. As Anthony and Aaron walk out the room together. Priscilla and Rachel not even looking up from their lists as they walk onto the porch and into town.

Charlie keeps her eyes in front of her. But she can feel him, Monroe right behind her. She can sense his taller frame behind her, his tall shoulders in that stupid leather jacket of his.

The sound of his boots in the sand mixing with the sounds of her heels and swinging of her hip with every solid steps she takes in the air.

* * *

 **Authors Note** The wedding preparation week continues and today, there were some moments that made Charlie aware of certain feelings... Anthony, well, he already sees how much the men around her care for her. Maybe one man in particular. There is banter between Charlie and Bass, but it is changing. More from the wedding and them in next chapter. Thanks for reading and your reviews, I loved reading them! Knowing you are here reading the story is such a great reward for the writing I love to do. Love from Love


	3. Brazil & the scent of his leather jacket

_Brazil and the scent of leather jacket_

The church is next on their list of things to do.

Miles is trying to look for an escape route, reaching his limit of wedding shit for one morning. Hell, probably for the rest of his life.

Bass is trying to keep his eyes away from Charlotte. He really does not need another smack on the head from Miles. Hell, he probably does not need any more fucking thoughts that include her wrapped around him or on a fucking table before him..

And Charlie, she is trying to not pay attention to the fact she is aware of Monroe's eyes on her ass.

Miles almost sees a possibility to sneak the hell away from everyone with Bass, when Anthony makes a sudden stop. Turns around. And demands both him and Bass coming with them to the church with them.

He needs to show them all about where they are going to sit, what they have to do. And then they get a dirty look each from Anthony and a long list that includes everything they _cannot_ do.

'That includes bringing your own booze to the ceremony in church.' He snaps at them. 'Tacky, so tacky.' He rolls his eyes at Bass and Miles.

Charlie looks at two bad ass Generals getting lectured by a wedding planner with a smirk, clear blue eyes and her arms crossed before her chest.

'We are late to a meeting with Blanchard.' Miles tries, with his best casual voice.

'We are late to our little get together in church.' Anthony counters.

'You do know who Frank Blanchard is, right?' Bass says with an amused grin.

'You do know I am planning something important here, right?' Anthony snaps back. 'Blanchard can wait.' Anthony adds, already turning from Bass and Miles as he is not really listening anymore.

'Well, brother, you've heard the man, huh?' he pats Miles on the back, grinning, looking at Charlie from the corner of his eyes before he looks back to Miles.

Miles shoves his hand away from his shoulder, with an annoyed look. 'Get your hands away from me, you moron.'

Charlie watches the brotherly banter, and she has to admit that it is kind of fun to see how Bass can yank Miles' chain. She walks into the church with Anthony not far behind her. Although Charlie suspects they could have done just fine without those idiots, she suspects Anthony just needs a reason to keep both Miles and Bass around.

She smirks at Anthony who gives her an innocent face.

'What?'

'Oh nothing.' She says with sarcasm in her voice and a small smile around her lips.

Because of the fact that her mom and Priscilla are having an argument about candles and no one has to stomach to intervene _that discussion_ and because of a missing Priest, Charlie sits down on the steps at the far end of the church until the meeting gets finally started.

If someone asks her, and no one does, the church looks just fine the way it is now. Simple and fine for a wedding. Not that she is the wedding kind of person. She is not someone who believes in that herself, although what Aaron and Priscilla have feels good and real. Maybe no one has been around to show her it can be eyes fall on the wooden benches and then on Monroe, who is talking to Miles and is whining for a swig from Miles' flask at the look of things.

The light that falls in through the windows is bright and it reaches her face. She just closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in. The sounds of the buzz of the people in the church fading.

It is not long before Anthony finds her.

'Well, it is not even 11 and I already need another coffee the size of my head.' Anthony sighs.

He moves so that he is sitting down next to her on her step. Connor walks in, a wide smirk on his face as he leaves a couple of girls giggling outside.

'So, what is his story?' Anthony wants to know, his eyes glued on the younger Monroe.

'His story is girls.' Charlie laughs.

'Oh really?' He answers her, with clear disappointment in his eyes.

'I am afraid so.' Charlie tilts her head a bit.

'What a shame.' He half sighs, half answers.

Then he looks from Connor back to Charlie.

Connor walks to Miles and Bass, who are standing a bit further ahead. Aaron is talking to some friends in the other corner of the church. Flowers are brought in, and Priscilla and Rachel walk to them to do the final selection of colours.

Charlie and Anthony talk. Laugh. He makes her laugh. His stories are what she craves for every now and then. They are from a world ago, with cities she has heard from. Fashion, food, travelling. It is light and easy and she likes to listen to him. Sitting side by side.

It is not long before Anthony tells her another story. A horrible story of a very demanding bossy bride and a cake gone bad. About another wedding with a severe case of food poisoning and more wedding drama. Then he reaches the part about dresses in wrong sizes and lingerie missing right before the wedding night and the hotels booked for the wrong dates.

He is just about to reach a topic that grabs her attention fast.

'Yeah marriage is a lot harder without a salon to get a Brazilian, Char.'

Charlie looks confused. 'Excuse me? A what? Brazilians?'

'Oh honey, you are so lucky I am here...' Anthony replies with a serious tone.

And before she knows it, she is in the middle of the conversation about which salons to go to, and which not and bikini lines and very intimate places. When Anthony reaches the part of the wax she makes a face of agony at just the thought.

It is because of that thought and the topic of their discussion Charlie does not hear Miles walking up to them.

'Aaand what are the both of you gossiping about?'

'Brazil,' Charlie answers without even blinking when she looks up at Miles.

Within five whole seconds and one look at Anthony's face, Miles gets what they are talking about. He curses loudly through the whole church the moment he does.

'Oh Hell.' His voice sounds through the whole church. Images battling in his mind he really does not need to see. Miles is close to having an aneurysm.

At that exact moment the priest walks in, a look of shock on his face.

'Sorry Padre.' Miles throws at him drily, his whole face still in agony. Both Priscilla and Rachel looking at him again like they want to murder him.

All of a sudden Miles knows what it must be like for Bass with those looks from Rachel and he makes a mental note to at least make an effort to be a bit nicer to his brother. Well, he is at least going to try/

Bass is not a big as a moron as his brother and he did not need the whole five seconds his brother did need to catch up. As both Rachel and the Priest are looking confused as hell.

God, he swears, he likes this part of her, he likes _best man_ Charlie. He grins.

And then ,because he is just a guy too, not some damn saint, images crash into his mind. Different images than Miles has and images he probably should not have in a church. And about Miles' niece.

Images that make the grin fade and his lips into a tight line to keep his cock in control.

Charlie notices those intense blue from Monroe are eyes glued on her. What started as a fast fun way to get her uncle's blood pressure up now evolves into a too long stare that she cannot break herself away from.

She watches him. A smirk answering his grin. Her blue eyes answering his eyes with the same intensity that are in his. She is ready to go to war with him if he dares to open his stupid mouth now. She finds herself kind of hoping he does, so she can battle him.

Thoughts and that need to battle him in so many, new, ways that flow so easily. Eager to be there for reasons she has not explored yet.

But instead, he does not say a word. And he grins that stupid grin of his. Lighting up his face, lighting up the whole church. Boyish, everything, stimulating. Brooding and yet, somehow open and inviting. All true, if she would ignore and forget that raw edge she sees in his eyes too that builds something up deep inside her belly. Danger into a warm grin.

She heard a lot of stories from Miles about Monroe and the ladies. And yes, she is not blind. But the stories about how easy he worked his way through woman always made her huff and grin with a _yeah right_ snort. That is until she is lost in this lock of eyes with him and his stupid grin that she cannot stop.

She gets it now.

* * *

Bass is unable to tell himself to get a damn grip and to look away from Charlie. And this time it is him who mutters _Jesus_ quietly, and curses some more. Before he realises he is late for a meeting with Blanchard.

Fuck it, Blanchard can wait. Charlie can't. She is looking at with that raised eyebrow of hers and that look that can make him hard within seconds _. Dammit._ He has to fight the urge to think about his hands under that grey fucking perfect shirt of hers, his fingers going all kinds of places.

It is Anthony's voice that is a sharp order through the church that jolts him back to reality of another stupid long boring rehearsal. It is a wedding folks. How hard can it be?

How much whining and boring stuff does he need to sit through?

He looks at Anthony again. Orders are flying through the church from a merciless wedding planner.

If they ever get their Republic back, Bass considers having him in charge of parties and booze because that guy can give orders like a damn corporal.

* * *

Later that night, Priscilla and some of her friends from Willoughby make sure there is food. A lot of it. Something Miles and Bass have no problems with.

Everyone gathers at Aaron's and Priscilla's house. There are plenty of people, there is plenty of food and plenty of laughs. There are candles in the living room as everyone is tired after a long day and they all crave a drink.

Charlie is sitting on the small couch in front of the fireplace. A friendly fire is there. She is eating and drinking, the room filled with friends from town and her family. Her stomach full, a pleasant buzz of the wine in her head.

Anthony walks over with the bottle, filling her glass again as she moves the glass closer to him. 'There you go Char, I can't believe that uncle of yours has never even bothered to teach you about wine. '

'Heard that!' Miles says from the other side of the room, as he raises his bottle at them as he has not bothered picking a damn glass tonight.

'Meant for you to hear that!' Anthony snaps back. He nods at Charlie before he is making another round. 'Got to go, please make sure to mingle. Have fun!'

Charlie has no idea what he means by that, but she does know she is just fine where she is. On the couch, with wine and a plate of food. Miles winks at her as she smirks back with a mouth full of food.

Bass walks into the crowded living room. He nods to Connor who is of course busy impressing one of the locals. He grins fast. _A real Monroe_ this one. He is proud of his kid. Connor turns his attention back from his dad to the girl in front of him.

Then he spots _he_ r, on that couch. She is mid conversation, surrounded by a small group of people. She has a glass of wine in her slender hand. Her hair now loose over her shoulder again, a warm smile in a face he has not seen this relaxed from her. Fuck, she is beautiful. She makes easy conversation and the people around laugh at a joke she is probably making.

Bass scans the room again. Miles is talking to Rachel and there is no way in hell he is sitting with them. Staypuft is busy too. His kid too damn close to that girl. He is realising all the chairs are full, people are standing everywhere. And somehow, that place just next to her on that couch, is now empty.

 _Fuck._

He hopes no one will notice how he hesitates, because hell, he used to walk into meetings with his officers and all the bullshit going on there, completely in charge. But now, it is a very full room. And her. On a very small couch. Dammit. Bass scratches the back of his head. Nodding to a woman who passes him who he does not even know. She smiles at him with a smile which he knows could mean an invitation to a talk and her bed later.

He does not want to talk to her, or take her to that bed.

That moment he feels Miles' eyes as he knows his back is against the wall. Walking back to another spot with his brother's eyes on him is trouble. It happens when you read the other like yourself since you knew each other since forever.

Backing out now would be the fucking mistake in the history of ever.

With Charlie, he shared a log before near a fire. They were shoulder to shoulder huddled against a wall mid fight. But that couch, it is too damn small. He sucks in a breath, almost shakes his head with a curse only he can hear. _Dammit, it is a couch, get it together._

His boots hit the floor in large steps as he walks over to her, silently cursing and begging she does not throw him those Charlie _why the hell are you even here_ eyes.

He plants his ass down next to her, as she is just in the middle of a story with some local guy he has seen around her a little bit too much. Truth is, he feels a bit fucking jealous. Truth is, that he admires her, for being so free, making people laugh, talk and connect with the people in the room. She probably does not even realise it herself.

But then, as he starts to regret of even thinking of sitting right next to her, the guy next to her gets up from his place and then walks away. And Charlie actually turns to him when there are at least three other people she can talk to instead of him.

He shifts a bit, as he realises he is way too close.

He looks at her plate, and she catches him looking at her food.

She had seen him before, standing there on the other side of the room earlier. And of course, the ass had to sit down next to her. She had decided to ignore him as much as she could but then. Then his weight had been there, on the couch next to her. Her body shifting a bit towards him, to his large legs, his wide thighs and that wide chest. It did about ten different things to her and her body that she had not expected. And ten different things she pushes away quickly.

She turns a bit, so she can look at him.

'Hungry Monroe?'

Bass is confused by her question. And then, he watches her smirk but still offers him her fork. Before he knows it, she shoves the plate to him. And he accepts it. The meat is good, the rest of the food too. And he realises he is hungry. Anthony drops a glass of booze in front of him.

He is not sure what to do about so much friendliness. And then, after the food, her food, she has shared with him and not killing him for sitting next to her on the couch she starts to actually fucking talk to him.

'So, another long afternoon with Blanchard?'

'Yeah, Walnut is proving kind of challenge here and there.' He smirks.

'Walnut?' She narrows her eyes at him.

He wants to tell her the story, it is a fucking good one. When there is a whore and some kinky shit involved they usual are. But he also does not want to hurt her because that walnut moment was there, in Austin where she had lost a part of herself the day after.

'Oh just one of those stories. Maybe tell you another day.' Her face drops at his answer, and it tugs at his heart and stomach in a not so good way, as he watches her disappointment.

And he feels stupid. Dammit, he did not want to push her out, make her feel he does not want to tell her. Because he really wants to.

'Maybe when mister priest' he nods the priest talking to Priscilla at the other side of the room, 'is not around huh?'

He winks at her before he can stop himself.

She grins again, and he is fucking happy to see that grin back there again.

She nods, as they sit. As they share something simple as a couch. A plate of food. As he drinks whiskey and she sips from her wine. She realises it is so normal, so small, but that it is everything. A part of her life that she could have had if her parents had made different decisions. It tugs at her heart with sadness.

'Hey, you okay?' His voice is low, but the kind of warm low.

She finds a hint of worry in his eyes.

'Yeah I am.' She nods. It is not the truth. She knows. He knows. She knows he knows. But they both know that some hurt and deep pain cannot reach the surface.

So, she watches Monroe not being an ass for once. As he moves back to the conversation flowing around them, pulling the attention away from her so she can take a sip of wine and regroup.

And then, she feels him shift again. His arm moves behind her on the couch. Loosely, casual, but nevertheless there. Strong and wide, giving her a shield of Bass and leather jacket.

They eat. And without Charlie even noticing, she drinks from his glass of whiskey later. He does. And he fucking likes her doing that, her fingers and lips around his glass. But it is the familiarity of the gesture that fucking gets to him.

There is this one moment where she turns to him and he can see her eyes so damn close when she smiles. Their group is kind of drunk and good stories are being told. Bass watches Charlie having a good time. The group is getting smaller. Anthony walks over, so does Miles. This Anthony guy makes her smile, he appreciates that.

Charlie used to smile, so fucking much. A proud grin, he remembered from Chicago and years back. There is something about this week, combined with a lot of booze that shows him a different Charlie.

Charlie looks at him, as her leg is still plastered against his thigh. She does not seem in a hurry to change that. And then, her eyes change. The room doesn't. People eat, people laugh. Miles sitting across from them. Rachel and Priscilla around another smaller table in the back of the living room. Aaron laughing at some of his friends. Connor walking outside with that girl.

It all goes on, while the fire burns and it is dark outside. The sound of crickets fill the air.

Her eyes _do_ change. They narrow a bit, as they look away from him again and the moment passes. And he has seen a lot of things from her in those eyes, face to face, her so damn close. Anger, rage, hate, loathing. But not this, not like she was deciding what the hell was going on. Not like there was a flash of something close to something way too damn ridiculous in those eyes of her. Something that would normally guarantee him he would get to take her home and show her what he could to do her in bed.

He feels her shift, and when the night continues with more food and whiskey and talking and a room filled with friends, Charlie finds a place next to him, close to his chest. And she stays there for the rest of the night. Even when Rachel walks up to Miles and gives him a cold glare, a glare he knows Charlie has seen too, Charlie stays right there with him.

The evening slows down, people start to leave. Charlie gets up from her place. Caught off guard by how much his arm is not behind her anymore. His chest is not too.

When they say goodnight to their group, Bass going home and she going upstairs, they are aware of the other. Eyes crossing the room, connecting. She nods, he just looks, a silent nod in his eyes.

When Charlie falls asleep later in her bed under cool blankets, he is there again. The warm feel of something swirling inside her stomach, when Bass sat down next to her on that couch. When everybody around her did not seem to notice, she did.

The small shift and at the same time huge shift as the evening continued for everyone else the way it did. But somehow not for her. Not for her and bass.

She knows, as she is trying to not pay attention to it, that she is replaying that part of the day too much in her mind not to care. Because tonight, that infuriating tall wide body of his, Monroe was close. So close. Too close.

But why the hell was she not able to just walk away from him? Why did she feel she enjoyed that spot right there by his side? All questions that slowly are faded for now, faded into sweet bliss of the night by too much sweet wine and burning whiskey.

She drifts of, remembering how it felt to know his arm was there, behind her, over that couch. She falls asleep in a shirt that says, _I am a Charlotte._

She falls asleep with the scent of leather jacket in her shirt.

* * *

 **Authors Note: Thank you for reading ! It is so much fun to write more and more Charloe in this week of wedding planning. To give them more and more room and space to interact. Thanks for the great reviews for last chapter, I enjoyed reading them so very much! They are amazing gifts to read after writing for me... Love from Love**


	4. Dresses and whiskey

_Dresses and whiskey_

Charlie wakes up with a hangover and a trace of leather from a certain leather jacket from a certain guy on her skin. The first thing makes her close her eyes to avoid meeting the sun streaming in from the windows. Cursing at herself for not completely shutting the curtains the night before.

The second one has her nuzzle deeper under her sheets, something warm inside of her revolving around that scent.

And then she feels something on her forehead. It is a small square piece of yellow paper, stuck to her forehead. Her fingers reach for it as she pushes herself up with a small groan. She removes the yellow note from her skin.

She squeezes her eyes to adjust to the light as she reads the note on the yellow paper.

 _Get your ass to church. Already late._

Miles' handwriting is meeting her. The house beneath her is silent.

'Shit,' she says to no one in particular, although she is pissed at Miles and more pissed at herself for him sneaking into her room without her noticing.

She throws the blankets away from her, wrestling with the sheets with her feet. She glides out of bed. Splashes some water in her face to freshen herself up. Gets out her shirt that still carries her name on it and slips into a pair of jeans, a simple bra, her ankle boots and a simple blue tank. Her hair is messy and all waves around her head.

She walks downstairs. The kitchen is a warzone. Cups that are left behind and used to be filled with coffee and tea. Almost empty plates, chairs crisscross around the table. Some notes left on the table that contain more lists in her mother's handwriting.

Aaron has not left his little silver leave pendant in the kitchen, so that means no coffee. And another curse from Charlie. She could really need that coffee now. Charlie grabs some left over breakfast from the kitchen counter.

It is when she puts her teeth into the bread, that it catches her eyes. A small strip of fabric, in a pink that shames all other things pink. It is screaming pink and hurting her eyes more than the Texan sun. That on its own is already very alarming.

It hangs casually over a chair. Charlie has to shut her eyes at remembering how Anthony and Aaron had been talking about her dress for the wedding. This can't be it. It just can't. It is the same thought that is on repeat the whole time the whole monstrous dress is in the room before her.

She feels pissed, leaving the dress behind as she walks out of the door as she is heading to the church and kicking Aaron's ass. One word resounding in her head over and over again.

No.

Just. No.

* * *

Aaron is pacing in the church. He really wants to marry his wife again, but the week it is starting to take its toll.

Two things have him worried. The first thing is that Priscilla's mom has just arrived in town. She travelled for weeks to reach them and let's just say, he is not her very best friend and favourite person in the world. The second thing involves a Charlie who is probably going to kill him in the next couple of minutes. Which takes care of problem number one, he has to admit that.

Anthony had showed him the dress early this morning, with Charlie blissfully asleep. The dress Rachel found for Charlie. Anthony is a smart devilish guy, but even he reached his limit of being able to talk Rachel out of it.

Even Aaron had to admit, and he really is not into the whole dress thing, that it was a bit on the very ugly side. They had left the dress behind in the living room for her to find. And then run out the door like a couple of coward grown up men so they could avoid the first wave of _stubborn no_ in those blue eyes of her and hope Charlie would have calmed herself down on the walk over here.

Although Aaron knows that the changes for that to happen are pretty much zero. And he is good, very good with statistics.

Aaron swears, every time he hears the church doors his heart misses a beat. He has put some distance between him and the doors but he knows that if Charlie is as pissed as he thinks, he does not stand a change.

'Relax Staypuft,' Bass grins at him. He has no clue what the hell is going on but Staypuft is all over the place. He reaches out his arm and gives Aaron small whiskey flask back they have somehow been sharing from that day Miles forced him to go out and get the _staypufts_ when he could barely stand on his feet after being drugged out of his mind.

Staypuft turned out all right, even more so after he explained to him one drunken drinking and sharing the flask night how the dent got into the material of his drinking flask. The fact that he killed fucking Drexel himself, had made him respect Staypuft. 'No fucking way.' Bass had cursed at Aaron. 'Yeah, so it DID happen.' Aaron had snapped back.

Aaron looks so nervous it starts to work on Miles' nerves too.

When Charlie eventually crashes through the church doors she does not disappoint. Her eyes fly through the church until she finds what she has been looking for.

'Aaron, seriously?' Her eyes shoot pissed of blue fire at him as the rest of the church looks at her.

'She found the dress,' Anthony hisses at Aaron.

'Uh, you think?' Aaron shoots back at him.

Aaron takes a step back.

Charlie takes one step to him as she points directly at him with a couple of well aimed fingers. Aaron is just happy at this point it is not the arrow of her crossbow.

Bass is not in her direct line of fire, but even he has to swallow at all the blue eyes firing treat coming from Charlie right now.

'I am in heels, but I can still kick your ass Aaron.' Charlie shouts through the church with contained anger. She is not kidding.

She is pissed. Aaron tells himself to take a deep breath.

'So she's pissed.' Miles says drily as he and Connor are leaning into a church bench, lazily watching all the new drama this new day brings.

When Charlie walks through the path in the middle of church, the sounds of her heels are making Aaron even more pale. And Bass unable to not look at her. Fuck, she should really consider wearing those on a daily basis.

Aaron is regrouping as he sucking one deep breath in.

'I am not wearing that stupid thing,' She huffs when she stands in front of Aaron.

'Uh yes, you are.' Aaron finds his voice back.

The moment Charlie crosses her arms before her chest and gives Aaron her special Charlie _and you are delusional_ smile, Miles, Bass and Connor all take a breath in at the same time.

Bass knows this Charlie, and it is not looking good for StayPuft.

'And why is that?' Charlie's voice has reached to no bullshit tone she is nailing to perfection.

'Because Uncle Aaron never said anything when you brought back the big bad wolf home with you.' He nods at Bass.

Bass is about to say something but then he has to admit that the _whole big bad wolf_ does sound kind of badass . So he just grins happily at his new nickname. It beats all the other shit and things people have been throwing at his face the past years.

Charlie throws him her _god you are stupid_ look. And then turns her attention back to Aaron who is still talking.

'You brought him back and as I recall, even saved his ass a couple of times.'

'And a mighty fine ass it is...' They all hear Anthony mumble as he walks by as Bass shoots him an incredulous look.

Aaron continues. 'If you can do all of THAT for him, you can put on that dress for just a couple of hours for ME.'

Charlie takes a deep breath. She knows she has just lost.

Bass watches Charlie's face change. They never ever talked about the fact what she has done for him. What he has done for her. They just kept on having each other's backs in what became their shitty life after they reached Willoughby and the shit had hit the fan there. He watched her eyes change the moment Staypuft put a truth in words forming on her face.

Because she _had_ brought him back, she had fought _with him_ , she had _stepped in front_ of him in that old Mill when Rachel was going all kinds of crazy with a shotgun aimed at him. And she had saved his life.

They never talked or talk about any of that shit. But he had come back for her. Unable not to. He could still feel the rage he felt for those assholes touching her in that bar. He would pull any trigger of any fucking gun to get her out of any line of threat.

Bass watches Charlie who's eyes tell Aaron she will do it.

'Fine, I will wear the stupid thing.' A sigh of relieve on Staypuft's face now.

Aaron mumbles something about thank you as he turns and walks away.

'So, rough start this morning?' Miles says with sarcasm to Charlie.

'You mean that stupid note you plastered on my face?' Charlie sounds pissed again.

'Well, we did try to wake you.' Miles adds a little more oil to the fire.

'Yeah, got some pretty impressive grunts out of you.' Bass teases her, with lines crinkling around her eyes.

He watches Charlie almost blush as she realised they both had been there in her room.

Miles had tried to wake his niece, and as Bass stood behind him, he had faced a very much asleep and hung-over niece. Bass had just grinned an huffed at his brothers attempts to wake her. God, Charlie could be so much like Miles in the morning. He would not go even near her, as he knew her mood and all hell about to break loose for someone daring to waking her up with a hangover.

'You even kicked this moron.' Bass nodded to Miles. Grinning at remembering his brother's face again as Charlie had found a great place right behind his brothers knee in her sleep when her leg had attacked Miles as she had mumbled something of sleep and go away.

Charlie realised they had been there. Both of them. IN her bedroom She looked with blue anger in her eyes at the both of them.

Bass held up his hands in defence. 'Hey, he put the note on your head, not me. I was a complete gentleman the whole time.'

This seemed to piss her off only more, adding to Bass' enjoying himself even more.

'The note was your idea Bass.' Miles sighed as he happily ratted Bass out. If he was going down, his brother was going down too.

The grin now moved away from Bass' face.

'Oh come on Charlotte, it was just a joke.' Bass tried. Bass and Miles are grinning widely at being proud of their prank.

Charlie could not take any of their shit, promising herself she would get her revenge.

'And if you ask me, the whole drooling in your sleep things was just adorable.'

Charlie is so worked up by the whole thing, she does not even notice what happens next.

'Just go to hell, Bass.'

Blue meets blue. Bass. She just called him Bass. He knows it. She knows it. They lock eyes as he smiles smugly. She just looks pissed. He has to admit, he is impressed with her keeping her face in a straight line when her eyes tell him she knows what just the hell happened here.

She needs some air. Five minutes before another meeting starts of vows and flowers. Not only because of the amount of ugly the dress is. But also because of what Aaron just said. She had brought back Monroe, she had asked her mom to save his life. She had brought him back to fight with them, because the fighter in her told her they needed him. But she had asked her mom to save his ass because of more than that. The tears she cried when she thought he was really gone, were not just for Miles' loss.

And she had felt bass' eyes on her right there next to her. That intense blue glare that reached her insides in all the wrong and good ways she could not help herself to feel. She never talked to him about it, why he came back in that high school. Why he had stopped Neville there at that train. He had never asked her why she stayed in Vegas to get his and Connor's ass out. Somehow it just translated into more eye locks, into more challenge and fire and feelings shoved away and emotions exploding in gunfight when raiding another camp.

So she tells them she needs to find some water. She needs air. Not only because of that ugly dress. But also because he had been there in her room with Miles. Because he was an ass. Because that is not the whole truth anymore.

And because she just called Monroe Bass. And it felt too damn natural. Yeah, she needs that air. Like now.

She straightens her shoulders as she walks out of the church. When she is close to the door she turns her head over her shoulder.

'Still think that dress it is ugly as hell Aaron.'

'We all do Char!' Anthony yells right before she is out of the door, making her snot and her mother protest somewhere behind her as she steps into the sunlight of this Wednesday morning.

* * *

 _That same day, a couple of hours later_

'Someone get me Charlie, now.' Aaron sounds desperate as he almost yells in panic to no one in particular.

'What's gotten into him?' Bass wants to know.

Both him and Miles had found a spot in the middle of church. They were drinking, as they had decided getting drunk in the afternoon on this spot that they had confiscated for themselves was better than getting into the office and risk seeing Blanchard. They kind of ran the whole show in town these days, and that meant doing what the hell they wanted.

Which was drinking their asses of, whine and nag some more and watch all the drama unfold right before their eyes.

Miles takes a swig as his eyes light up with sarcasm as he points with a couple of fingers to the church doors where a woman in her sixties, an older looking version of Priscilla, with a stern look on her eyes just walked in.

When Aaron is standing close to Miles and Bass, probably to put some shield of Generals between his mother in law and soon to be his mother in law all over again, Connor walks into church and to him.

He has just enjoyed a long night with a girl he tried to hook up with the whole evening at the small party from the night before. He had gotten lucky and had gotten laid. And after sleeping into the day he had decided to check out what was going on in church.

'Where do you need Charlie for?' Connor wants to know, standing with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, suppressing a yawn from all the sleep he obviously did not get.

Aaron feels more panic take him.

'Because she knows how to deals with ..' Aaron looks for words, 'challenging mothers.'

'Could not agree more with you there,' Bass nods. Miles poking him with his elbow, right in between his ribs.

'Oh Shut up Bass.' Miles scolds.

'Hey,' Charlie stands next to Aaron all of a sudden in the circle of men around her now, 'you needed me?'

'Oh he is needing you, all right,' Connor smirks at her, nodding his head to the woman that they all know must be Priscilla's mom because of the same features in her face.

'Hey Cecil,' Aaron tries with a somewhat forced friendliness in his voice as she has reached them and he knows there is nowhere to go.

'Aaron,' Cecil nods, looking at him, from head to too. Charlie is still pissed at the whole dress thing, but she feels for Aaron at his moment. She won't leave him alone here. She knows he loves Priscilla, but Cecil and him never got on the same page.

'I am Charlie, hi.' She moves her hand forward to greet the woman. Cecil gives her the same look that make some of her mom's stares run for the hills.

'That is not a name for a girl.' She pauses and looks at her again before she fires more at her. ' You are short. And a girl should not be around all these men alone.'

Cecil does not waste any more words on her as Charlie gets one more look from her before Cecil turns to meet the priest and Rachel.

Charlie sighs. 'That is my life in a couple of words.'

Bass has picked a spot on the floor he can stare at in peace to bite the inside of his cheek to make sure he does not burst out in laughter, as both Connor and Miles are grinning widely at Charlie.

Connor is about to throw a friendly arm around her.

'You need a hug?'

'You want me to break your nose?'

Connor moves his hands in the air as surrender as he laughs at her and walks away.

Charlie watches Aaron go after Cecil. She sighs. Her mom and Cecil are meeting now on the other side of church.

Without any words she plants herself in between Miles and Bass on their bench.

'You sure you want to sit with us without a chaperone?' Bass growls lowly into her air.

'Oh just shut up and give me that flask.' Charlie bites back.

Bass has no other option than to give it to her. She grabs it from his hands without a thank you.

'And you are welcome...' he waits a couple of seconds before he has her attention again as she takes a swig from his flask. He tilts his head a little bit further towards hers, his lips almost brushing her hair, '...Charlotte.'

Both of them pretend they do not see the goose bumps appearing on the skin of Charlie's neck, right where his breath has touched her.

* * *

 _Still that same day, a couple of hours later_

Well, she might not have a say in what she is wearing on the wedding day. But she sure as hell decides what she wears tonight. Charlie looks at herself in the mirror. The dress is tight, but not too tight. It complements her curves in all the right places. The fabric is a deep blue, a low v line moves from the straps over her shoulders over her chest. Her eyes stopping at the point where she has felt Bass' breath earlier this day.

The lines of the dress show just enough cleavage, as the fabric moves over the curves of her breasts, thighs and then stops right above her knees.

She moves into her new pair of heels, her hair is flowing loosely, and her skin is smelling of something sweet and soap. She smiles at herself. She feels confident as she adds some heels that are higher than she has ever wore. She tells herself it is for herself, not to swing past some guy and his stupid amount of good leather jacket.

Tonight is the bachelor party for the guys. But she has made sure, together with Anthony, that the ladies, including herself, have some harmless fun as well.

But then she remembers him, and maybe, that harmless fun will turn into something more dangerous tonight. Maybe.

She throws her hair back over one shoulder as she closes the door of her room behind her.

Bass watches Miles kiss Rachel goodnight from his place at the bar, a drink in his hand, one elbow leaning against the bar. His kid just showed up and Connor and him started to drink, the first round for the Monroe men.

Rachel throws him and Connor a look of blue steal from where she is standing at the door. Connor just raises his glass in a mocking gesture towards Rachel. Bass watches those steal eyes of Rachel turn even more into loathing for everything that is Monroe. Kids included.

God, he knows it is bad parenting but he seriously is proud of his kid and the way the deals with that holier than thou bitch crap.

Watching his brother with Rachel, it is all kinds of pathetic. He places his glass to his lips and lets the whiskey burn. The bar is getting full and when Miles walks back to him, he look like some lost puppy.

'Oh relax, you can do a couple of hours without the old ball and chain. This a boys night. A Bachelor party. We are going to have ourselves some fun.' His voice is low and laced with whiskey.

Miles just shots him a look of get the fuck away from me as he orders his first drink.

And then, Bass watches the doors and he forgets all about his drink. And whining Rachel. And his kid. And Miles. And his god damn whiskey.

Because Charlotte just walked into the place, in a little dress that makes his lips hover above his glass without touching it as he watches her in one hell of a dress that screams all kinds of hot and Charlotte and even more kinds of forbidden wrong.

* * *

 **Authors Note: yes, I know, what a place to stop. I am sorry! But the next chapter is all about the Bachelor Party and what happens there, and I wanted to give that a whole chapter for all good reasons. You know, since there is a lot of strippers, and whiskey, and drama and..Charlie and Bass. I am loving all the reviews I am getting. Seriously everyone: thank you and you are all amazing! Love from Love**


	5. Cocktails and one dark corner in the bar

_Revenge, cocktails and one dark corner in a bar_

Charlie steps into the bar. Before Bass sees her, she sees him. He is busy throwing his best _god look at you being all kinds of pathetic_ look at Miles, while he is leaning against the bar next to Connor. Both Monroe men are drinking.

At the sight of Bass leaning casually against the dark wood of the local bar she tells her heartbeat to slow down He leans with one elbow against the bar. His leather jacket hangs open. Accentuating his broad shoulders and wide upper arms. The beard he has trimmed a bit, flows into a moustache. Blue eyes, messy curls and all ego plastered against one bar.

It is Aaron's Bachelor party, and tonight is his. The bar is full, the sun has gone down one hour ago and crickets fill the fields around Willoughby with their nightly sounds. Many friends and family have gathered. Amusement, free booze and the prospects to some more forms of entertainment have gotten people out of their homes and into the bar. They are all talking and drinking in groups in the already warm and humid bar, as the booze is already flowing like water.

She looks up at the banner that hangs above the entrance of the bar. _Aaron's Bachelor Bash_. The banner is made from old faded cotton and black paint someone probably found in an attic or basement.

The banner reminds her of the _welcome to New Vegas_ banner she had walked under and into the tent city twice the past years. And reminds her who far they had all come. They all. Him. _Her_. Monroe. Bass. She is not the same person she was, and he is not the same guy she met there. A drunk fighting for coin in a whorehouse, fucking his way through the nights. One blonde dangling from his arm and her hiding in the tent, watching him.

She looks at Miles who is now standing next to Bass, saying something snarky to him by the look on her uncle's face as he orders his drink.

And then, she feels his eyes washing over her. Bass locks eyes with her, and it is the way his lips hover over his glass that he holds casually in his hand, that makes her almost gasp. She is grateful for the dress and heels. The dress fitting her like a second skin of confidence as her hair is still over one shoulder, flowing over her right collarbone.

She does not look away. She lets the moment burn between her and Monroe.

The sounds of the bar pick up again as she unties herself from the man in front of her. She starts to greet the people she knows from town who noticed her walking into the bar, as she unlocks her eyes from his, but never is not aware of him.

After greetings and many _hi Charlie's_ she reaches the spot at the bar where Miles looks up from his drink. His eyes light up in surprise, nut still hold their shield of dark brown sarcasm.

'You look...different.' Miles says with a whiskey buzz in his voice. His eyes are on her, the sarcasm is heavy in his voice but there is also awkward warmth in his voice at the sight of his niece.

Young, beautiful. Grown up. And as he asks himself when the hell that happened. Remembering the big deer eyed girl that had walked into his bar. So much of Ben. Of Rachel. Of him. Miles sighs at the prospect of fighting any guy who dares to lay eyes on his niece. Curses inside at the fact that he could not have picked some different words.

Miles does not miss the eyes of thunder coming from Bass, giving him the _you are a total dick_ look he had gotten from Bass since they were fourteen as he said something stupid to a girl _again_.

Bass watches Charlie's face change with being aware of herself, before she puts herself together, a mild sarcasm in her words, now aimed at Miles.

'Ah thank you uncle Miles.' Her eyes shoot a annoyed smirk of blue at Miles.

Bass wants to smack his brother on the head. Charlie looks fucking beautiful in this dress and he knows she is out of her comfort zone. Leave it up to his brother to fuck up that compliment.

Before he can even smack his brother on the back of his head _or_ say something to Charlie, his kid beats him to it.

'You look great, Charlie.' Connor says, with a warm smile and eyes that cannot resist checking her out. He kisses her quickly on her cheek as his hand is on her shoulder blades, a quick friendly kiss.

'You look very pretty too, Connor.' Charlie smirks, as Connor laughs at her.

'Now, If you excuse me, there are some girls waiting for me, and I hate to disappoint them.' Connor says, that cocky smile back on his face.

'Well, hate to be the one who keeps you from rocking their world Connor.' Charlie rolls her eyes at him but still laughs at his eager plans he has for the ladies in Willoughby.

Bass feels more irritation building up, now aimed at his kid for even looking at Charlie. For that friendly effortless kiss on her cheek and his kid's damn hand on her back. Forget irritation, he feels pissed.

The one thing that stops him from wrapping his hand around his kids neck, _more bad parenting, he knows that_ , and keep it around his damn glass is the easy banter he sees between Charlie and Connor. Bass still feels pissed, but there is something in the way Charlie talks to Connor, that eases him. It is friendly banter, and she does not look at him like she had looked at Nipples once. He cannot find anything more than friendship between Connor and Charlie and if he is honest, he never seen anything more between them. Besides that one fucking night he found them in that field next to that fire.

It pisses him even more that he even cares, as he puts the glass to his lips and finishes it.

'Char!' Anthony's voice booms through the bar with two glasses in his hand. They are bigger than the one she takes her whiskey in. They have umbrella's and a different colour than the whiskey she normally shares with , _or steals_ from Miles or Bass. They can be assholes but they do have all the good booze.

He elbows his way across them, shooting some deadly looks to the crowd around him.

He puts one of the drinks in Charlie's hand who raises an eyebrow at the sight of the umbrella.

'What's this?' Charlie looks at the drink in her hand.

'You never had a cocktail?' Anthony says incredulously, shooting a how _can you let this happen_ look at Miles and Bass.

'Yeah, not a big fan of the umbrella's.' Miles waves his hand to the two umbrella's. He puts his glass to his lips. Letting the drink burn, needing to forget and drown disapproving Rachel's eyes from across the room.

The bar is crowded and there is not much space. Their little group at the bar is running out of place. Maybe that is why it happens.

Before Charlie realises what is happening, she stands with a cocktail with an umbrella in her hand and with his thigh against her leg. She feels the fabric of his jeans, rough and so him, stroking her bare leg. The muscles of his thigh are hard against her leg.

She can't move. She won't back out. Neither is Bass. So when Anthony is telling her all about the ingredients in her cocktail and everything there is to know about making the perfect one, she feels him stand tall and wide behind her. God, he is insanely tall behind her, like a wall of leather jacket.

Connor is standing on Bass' right and Miles is too busy drinking and dealing with her mom's disapproval for all the drinking he is doing and _is going to do_ while Anthony chats on and she stands there. Against him. The fabric of his jacket cool against the skin of her arm. It is when her heartbeat picks up at how close she is to certain other things Monroe, Aaron walks over. Catching her eyes through the crowd and waving at her to get her attention.

She is torn. Torn between being relieved Aaron is here with a distraction, being pissed at herself for not controlling her own heartbeat and whishing Aaron was not demanding her attention so she would not have to move.

She turns, leaving the steady wall that is Bass behind her, but her shoulders are still so close to his chest she can pick up his scent.

She puts her glass on the bar. Turns to the guys and whispers harshly so Aaron cannot hear right before he reaches their spot. 'The ladies are here around ten.'

'Yeah, we get it kid.' Miles sighs. Still kind of in awe of how the hell his niece found three strippers. Still remembering the pissed of look Rachel gave him when she had found out about the entertainment for the night.

'Staypuft,' Bass raises his glass at Aaron who just walked over. Grinning at the fact that the strippers are close and this poor guy has no idea what the hell will happen tonight.

Miles nods at her to get out of here and enjoy herself , hoping his niece can let go of all of the bullshit they are all facing and has a night of booze, friends and one hell of a hangover like she should have. A night she deserves. A night he wished he could give her more of.

Charlie smiles and then sighs a bit. Being the best man and being part of the ladies night too, means a busy schedule and a lot of travelling between this bar and the other smaller one, at the other side of the street.

'You boys have a good night.' She turns to Miles and then to Bass, a smile plays around her lips of her, that shows her dimple.

Right before she steps away from Bass, she feels it. Or maybe not. It happens so damn fast. Her hands brush his. And then, his fingers move over her thigh. It is subtle, it is everything. It is invisible for anyone else there in that bar, lost in people and the sound of a good night in a bar.

His touch of fingers against the smooth curve of her thigh is like a jolt to her whole system.

* * *

Bass gulps the rest of his glass down, letting the whiskey burn through his throat. _Fucking hell._ Charlie so damn close, her ass against his leg. The scent of hair close, the skin of her neck so close he could gently suck on her smooth tanned skin. Bite her, soak in her taste and he has to do everything he can to stay in control and not shove her whole body against his chest.

His cock had gotten all the wrong ideas. The bar is full as hell, there was no place to go and the fact that she had been standing next to him for five damn minutes did mean not one fucking thing. It was just them, with the rest of their group, in a bar. He feels lust, irritation and a need to kick something. And her, _fuck_. Her. In that dress. Bass still feels her warmth against his stomach and thigh.

When she walks over to Staypuft and leaves the spot near him empty, he turns and barks at the guy behind the bar for another drink as he watches her walk through the bar. Feeling rage for all the other eyes that followed her through the room. And the need to kick something turn into the feeling of wanting to kill someone, slowly spreading from the knuckles of his hand through the rest of his body.

* * *

Connor is in the middle of getting into another girls panties with his _back when I was in Mexico and I was a big time hero_ bullshit story on his left. Miles is busy avoiding Rachel, in the middle of another drink. He just asked the bar tender to leave the bottle.

And Bass, he is ignoring a blonde that is trying to get into his pants. He would have considered fucking her if he had not been so busy following Charlie with his eyes from his spot at the bar. Fuming and in one hell of mood for the attention she is getting from the men in the bar.

He gets it. She looks fucking stunning and she is just her. Charlie. Strong, taking no bullshit from anyone, _not even him_. She is one hell of fighter and loyal to the values and people she stands for. She lives her life for. There is no single guy in the bar who would not fight for a change with her.

And isn't it the fucking joke in the history of ever he is one of those guys now, he thinks bitterly as whiskey is his best friend again.

Charlie feels his eyes still burning, as she is in the middle of a conversation with Aaron and some friends of his he just introduced. Everything is taken care of for the night, and she watches Aaron and Priscilla enjoy themselves. It feels good to see the people she cares about so light with a drink in their hands and a smile on their faces. Talking, having one good night in their hard life.

Suddenly, there is a shift in the bar and all the ladies eyes turn to the entrance of the bar. A tall, very muscled young man steps in. His hair is short, his eyes deep and his shoulders are wide. A green shirt is tight around his chest, and some kind of army pants are around his legs. Charlie is narrowing her eyes as she does not recognise the uniform.

And then all of a sudden she remembers the conversation with Anthony. How he would take care of their entertainment for the night. Charlie has a feeling that entertainment has just arrived.

'I have special orders for...' The tall guy starts. Charlie can't hear the rest because a large part of the ladies starts to laugh and cheer loudly, blushing cheeks and delighted cries that only a group of woman can produce.

Bass is cursing something behind her.

'Oh hell no.' Miles slams his drink on the bar.

'What's wrong?' Charlie's eyes are filled with blue amusement, her voice an innocent kind of flat that only adds to Miles' anger as she puts more force in her voice to reach her uncle over the sounds of giggling cheering woman throughout the bar.

'You got a stripper?' Miles almost screams, unhappy as hell.

'Oh I didn't.' Charlie smirks, 'He did.' She points at Anthony. 'What, you think you were the only ones tonight who got to enjoy something nice to watch? Charlie smiles at him.

'Ladies, time to go!' Anthony yells through the bar, unable to hide his own enthusiasm and admiration for all the muscles that just walked into the bar. Smiling widely as he points at all the ladies to leave the bar.

Without waiting Charlie turns and follows the cheering ladies out of the door. Another woman throws an arm around her as Charlie is curious and very amused at her Uncle's look at the same time.

When Charlie smiles and follows them, she looks at the bar one more time.

She watches a Connor looking at her, his mouth a big open in amused shock. And then, her eyes go to Miles who is not a happy uncle at this moment, his niece about to walk away to an evening of stripper amusement. _Male_ stripper amusement. That leaves one other General. Bass leans against the bar with a pissed look in his eyes.

The three musketeers and their pouty faces at all the ladies leaving and them not being the centre of attention anymore, make Charlie throw her head back and laugh out loud before she walks out of the bar.

* * *

The night moves too fast, Charlie sighs feeling the buzz from the cocktails that Anthony keeps on bringing her. The male soldier stripper was interesting, the woman around her going wild and cheering even more. Charlie watched everything with a raised eyebrow and laughter from the moves that the guy showed them. Priscilla sitting with some kind of plastic fake tiara on a chair.

When Antony buys the stripper a cocktail afterwards, Charlie slips away quietly. She lets the ladies cheer and laugh on their ladies bachelor night as she walks over the street, her high heels making sounds in the night. She needs to check on Aaron and the guys.

She also has not forgotten the little stunt Miles and Bass pulled with the yellow note on her forehead. They had both been an ass, but from Monroe she expects it. No, this time, her uncle Miles is her target as she smiles wickedly.

The bar is filled with guys. Very drunk guys. And with a Connor, and Bass sitting in a corner of the bar. Next to Miles. With a stripper around his neck and almost into his lap, petting him like he was some kind of animal in a Zoo she remembers from days long ago.

 _Good,_ she smiles at herself. The plan is working.

'Uncle Miles, Hi.' Charlie says with all the innocent enthusiasm she can manage in her voice as she stands before her uncle and the guys. The blonde stripper, Crystal, is busy petting Miles' biceps.

She moves over to Crystal as she offers her hand to her to shake. 'Hi, I am Charlie, his niece?'

Crystal shakes her hand. 'Hi Charlie, nice to meet you.' Her voice drips with honey as Bass mouth hangs open in shock as he is not able to look away from Charlie and the petite and very hot blonde stripper who just showed them some great moves with the other girls before Charlie walked in. He has to admit, Charlie choose the ladies well.

'You have a very, very nice uncle, Charlie.' Crustals' eyes turn all kinds of bad as Charlie watches Miles turn and squirm on his seat.

'Ah look at you, having fun.' Charlie almost pouted.

'We are not...hell, Charlie...' Miles starts to stammer. He had been enjoying a nice bottle of booze when one of the stripper ladies had showed some interest in him. It had been flattering first. And yes, his dick had found that attention flattering too, but it was not worth pissing Rachel of.

He had wanted to get back to his whiskey in peace but of course Crystal or whatever her name was had some other ideas. Sitting her gorgeous ass next to him, playing with his hair and dick with just her eyes and cornering him with that way too little dress on her.

'Uhm Miles, I think I see Rachel.' Aaron says from a spot near the window across from them.

Bass eyes shoot up. 'Oh hell, this is going to be fun.' He slams back a drink and sits back, ready for whatever the fuck will go down in the next minutes.

Charlie smirks. She had asked Anthony to send her mom over in five minutes. She is right on time.

'What the hell...' Miles curses, trying to get Crystal away from his lap. And then he is quiet and he realises what the hell is going. 'You did this?' he shoots at Charlie, pissed off.

'No, I am just a stupid naive kid, uncle Miles.'

'Charlie, quit the messing around.' Miles almost yells.

It is that moment, she watches her uncle panic. And she knows, she has her revenge for the post it on her head. Now she just has to play this out and well, make sure her mom does not actually kill Miles.

She just crosses her arms before her chest.

'All right then...I just want an apology, uncle Miles. For you being a complete ass for that yellow note on my head.'

Miles shoots her an look of disbelieve.

'This moron was there too, ' Miles nods towards Bass, while Crystal has started to pet his abdomen and Miles shoots her a dark look as she tries to reign in his cock.

'Yeah well, he is not the one with a stripper in his lap and a soon to be very angry girlfriend coming over here right now.'

'You wouldn't...' Bass voice is low as he cannot believe how far Charlie is willing to go for a little well played revenge. Although her revenge seems to be aimed at his brother. Bas sits torn between being thankful for not being in her line of fire for once, and wanting to help his brother out.

'Rachel is crossing the street.' Aaron reports from his spot at the window.

'Charlie..' Miles shoots at her with warning in his voice, as Crytsal is moving her hand lower and lower with the second.

Yeah, fuck being a good brother, Bass thinks. He is going to sit back and enjoy the hell out of watching a Rachel who is going to kill Miles this time is much more fun. Bass sits back at that thought, a small grin playing around his lips.

'A little help here Bass?' Miles voice shoots to an unlikely kind of panic for him as he is about to face an already pissed of Rachel with a stripper around his neck, her hand now on its way to his dick. No forget that, on his dick.

'Hey man, don't look at me. I think, she...' his eyes burn into Charlie's, 'is the person to talk to right now brother.'

Basss already respects the hell out of Charlie. He just respects her even a bit more now. Charlie in control is a fucking stunning Charlie.

'Well, what is it going to be?' Charlie says with a raised eyebrow.

'She is almost here.' Aaron says, shouting now too.

Charlie stays right where she is standing. Which is in front of Miles, not looking away from him. Miles Matheson faces of with Charlie Matheson.

He knows, he just knows his niece is going to be the death of him. he also knows he just lost.

'All right...all right...I am sorry, all right.' He shoots out, right before Rachel walks into the bar.

Both Connor and Bass laughing out loud, as Miles feels all kinds of hell and pissed and defeat for letting his niece play him like this.

'Ah thank you uncle Miles.' Charlie smirks, victory in her eyes. She nods at Crystal who smiles now too and gets up from her place next to Miles quickly right in time for Rachel not to catch her in Miles' lap. 'Now, that wasn't so hard right?'

Miles looks relieved and pissed and mortified at the same time. Charlie watches Bass smirk at her. Shooting her a _well played_ with his eyes.

Crystal walks over and stands next to Charlie, Her hand on Charlie arm.

'Thanks' Charlie smiles at her.

'Anytime,' Crystal winks at her.

'What is going on here?' Rachel's contained voice is now behind her, as she walks over to Miles and her eyes fall on the blonde stripper next to her daughter.

'Nothing mom, just making sure the guys are behaving over here.'

Bass and Connor are almost choking in their whiskey's as Aaron grabs a drink with relieve. And Miles, _badass General of a whole Militia once_ Miles, sigsh in relieve as his heartbeat still hammers in his chest.

* * *

Later that night, Bass had to hit the head and wants to avoid the pushy blonde from earlier who is still chasing him like some kind of mad woman. He walks his ass back into the bar through the back door as she crosses his path. She half stumbles into him, as Bass notices she is slightly drunk.

Charlie feels a tall body crashing into her as the booze makes her reaction time a bit longer than her normal quick reflexes . Even before she sees his face, the leather jacket gives him away. She looks up.

Bass.

The rest of the bar does not matter anymore.

She feels his eyes burn, she watches him notice her dress, the curves of her body, her heels, her hair. The shadow between her breasts.

She looks back, seeing just him.

It is when she looks at him, Bass lets all the anger and rage out for other men touching her, looking at her, for having to watch her shooting him all those looks but never ever letting him close. He as fucking enough. He is Sebastian Monroe. he does not sit and wait on his ass if he wants something. And fuck, he wants something.

He just moves. One wall of leather jacket and smug ego and blue eyes.

And just like that, Charlie lets him take control. He puts a hand around her side, his hand now on her lower back. He turns her, moves her against the wall of dark hidden corner and nook in the bar.

The moment he guides her against the wall, hard muscles controlling the movement, eager to get her where he wants her but gentle with her at the same time, he crashes warm wet lips over her mouth.

She just reaches for his shoulders to pull him close. Her head is spinning and he shields her from sight. Creating this dark nook where she can give in to him, to his kiss, to his body that is strong and tall and is playing with her. Letting Monroe angling her right in front of him, against him. Against the hard structure of the wall. Trapped between wall and the men in front of her.

Bass has to keep a curse inside, at how Charlie meets his kiss. How she does not turn him down. How her body feels strong and slender at the same time. She feels all kinds of bad good.

His hand is going to her leg, his fingers move right under her knee. Touching bare skin, lifting her leg so it rests over and against his thigh, her high heel against his boot.

They lock completely, chest to breasts. And it is the way he angled her, it is the way his leg is between her thighs that allows Bass to make her feel how badly he wants more of her.

He feels her react, a small gasp of air in the back of her throat the moment he shoves his cock towards the spot between her thighs. She feels his cock. He fucking knows she does. She moves her belly closer to him, wanting to feel more of his cock. It brings out a fast almost crude grin out of him, as he never takes his mouth away from hers. Claiming her.

It makes him almost loose all control. He takes her like a glass of good whiskey. He claims her, and then slows their kiss down before he almost looses it completely with her. Demanding himself to stay in control.

She slows down with him, until he slowly retreats his lips from their soft battle of lust.

His hand is against the wall, the palm of his wand against it right next to and just a little bit above her head. He leans into her. Leaving space between their bodies but somehow leaving her no place to breathe anymore. She finds gentle blue eyes. Lust filled, for her.

Someone walks past them and stumbles a bit into Bass.

Bass shoots him eyes of cold blue that make the man turn pale in his face and stammer some excuse towards him.

When he turns his eyes back to her, they return to the softer look he only seems to save for her. The wide contours of his thigh still so close to her centre that is warm and throbbing for him.

His finger makes a trail from her neck to her jaw, as Bass pushes some hair back behind her right ear. She thinks Bass is going to kiss her again.

But instead he does the one thing that confuses her even more, that makes another line of defence burst wide open.

'That dress..You look god damn beautiful, Charlie.' Bass' voice is rough and low.

Bass cups her hair with his hand, as he gentle moves his hand over her hair, over her shoulder, before he disconnects with her body. Slowly moving her leg back to the ground, her high heel now touching the floor again. He turns, and walks his wide shoulders and tall frame in that leather jacket back into the bar.

Fuck, he wants more, his cock aches for her. _He_ aches for her. But she is Charlie. And if something is going to happen he wants it to happen because she aches as bad as he is aching for her. He cannot do it any other way with her. Years with her have her right under his fucking skin. Made her a part of him. He needs her to not be drunk. He wants to fuck her, oh man, he wants to fuck her badly. But not here, not against some wall of a bar. He needs her in his bed. He needs her fucking under his damn skin without stopping for anything anymore. Without allowing other guys to look at her.

Charlie watches Bass walk away, into the crowd of the bar on his way to another whiskey.

Leaving her slightly drunk, the skin around her lips burning from his moustache and beard, warm and aching for more, with her lips swollen in high heels leaning against the wall.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the sweet reviews you are sending me! I love reading all those little presents after writing! In this chapter, the Bachelor party was here! With a little revenge from Charlie for two generals, cocktails and...some burning aching against a wall. More in next chapter! The wedding will be there, more about that pink dress, there will be a dance, more banter, a dress Anthony arranged for Charlie. And yes, more Charlie. And more Monroe. Love from Love**


	6. Breakfast,searching eyess, pink dresses

_Breakfast, searching eyes and pink dresses_

The mist lingers in the streets of Willoughby. The early morning leaves one bar to wake up alone and empty. Almost empty bottles are left on the bar. Umbrella's are left alone in empty glasses. Chairs are mixed up throughout the small space of the bar and everywhere. A fake silver plastic tiara left on a table, forgotten by the bride to be. Circles imprinted in the wood where the glasses stood the night before, the silent memory of a ladies night before.

The air is crisp and cool. Charlie walks to the other bar Willoughby has. That bar that is already cleaned up and opened for another day. Ready to greet new people this very early morning. The scent of fresh coffee greets everyone at the door as an early morning buzz fills the bar.

It is the same bar where Anthony organized a breakfast for everyone. To eat, to forget hangovers and prepare for tonight. Because tonight at sundown, Aaron Pittman and Priscilla Pittman will say yes to each other again.

She takes a deep breath in. The sharp clean morning air wakes her up, although her body has already been woken up last night. By him. A heartbeat in her chest accompanies the memory of the night before. Of his tall body shielding her like a tall wall of Bass. Leather jacket. Skilled hands in her hair. And his mouth. His god damn mouth on hers. Firm lips that knew what they were doing. Another heartbeat. _That dress, you look beautiful Charlie._ His words, more heartbeats. His voice buzzing in her belly and low. His words and eyes so gentle, something she never thought the great rough edged General would be ever capable of. But he is crashing in, into carefully constructed walls. And she can't stop him.

Charlie can't also help herself when she walk into the bar. Her eyes search for him. As she reaches the conclusion fast that he is not here. And realises she somehow wished there was a black jacket and messy curls to be found. It is the first time it comes crashing in. And it is new, and sharp and confusion and dangerous and pissing her of for feeling this way.

The tables have been moved around, creating one large table in the middle of the bar. A table filled with ladies, chatting, eggs, warm fresh bread and coffee. The guys are grouped around the bar or in corners in the bar near the windows. Avoiding all the ladies chatting. The topic of course the stripper from last night. Some of the guys, husbands and boyfriends, had grumbled a not so very nice and sarcastic _thank you_ to Anthony for getting their woman away from them with his arranged entertainment. Anthony had just told them to grow up.

Anthony is walking around the table, filling cups with coffee and taking care of his ladies when he sees Charlie walk in.

'You look like THAT after last night?' Anthony mouth drops when he looks at Charlie. 'Hate you, Char. Hate you!' he snaps at her. Charlie cannot do anything else but smile at him through her headache. 'Want coffee?' Anthony adds.

Charlie just nods yes, as she walk to the table and curls up in one of the empty chairs in between the bride and her mom in their group of ladies at breakfast.

Bass sees her, but she has not seen him. When she walks into the bar in a simple pair of jeans and tank, he is sitting in a corner with kid and brother, eating eggs and bitching about a hangover from hell. Pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation of one very wedding planner who is not able to shut up this morning.

The one thing that makes this whole morning doable and prevents him to bark at Antony to shut up is the fact he can rub it in Miles' face that his niece outsmarted him with her strategic stripper revenge last night. Miles is still in shock of the evens. Bass thinks it is fun. And is not missing any damn opportunity to let Miles know just that.

He watches Charlie walk into the bar, as Anthony walks up to her. _Fuck_ , he can still taste her. He drank as much whiskey as he could get his hands on for the rest of the night after walking away from her all over his damn thigh. But he had not been able to get her from under his skin after she let him kiss her. Hell, she had been under his skin for a very long time now.

He watches her from their corner near the window. Fucking stunning. Her hands wrapped around a mug with slender fingers he has seen before around her crossbow or around the trigger of damn gun like she never did anything fucking else.

She is smiling. She is having breakfast in the early morning sun. Bass forgets all about his eggs. Luckily his brother is not paying attention to him as his eyes are on Charlie too. Bass really does need a brother who catches him staring at his niece's ass, boobs or her in general.

He watches a Miles who is following Charlie with his eyes. Miles' eyes are filled with warmth, so much obvious love for Charlie that it fucking hurts Bass to watch.

When Charlie is laughing at something that is being said at the large breakfast table in front of them, and Bass dares to look at Miles again, he watches his brother's eyes light up. Only to get filled with more regret for the fact they could not give her more of this. This almost fucking normal life that would have been there for Charlie, hell for all of them, if the bitch from hell had not helped to singlehandedly turn the power off.

He watches the guilt in Miles, in his brother's eyes and shoulders. And it hurts so fucking much that Bass has to watch away. Feel tension ins his throat radiating through his body as he swallows hard and looks at his plate now.

Neither him or Miles had the stomach yet to tell Charlie, afraid that if they would tell her the truth about her parents, it would break her and they would lose more of her. Like they did on a corner of an alley in Austin. Both of them fearing she would not be able to get up again. She did. It was part of her, that strength. It was part of why he is falling her. Because _dammit_ , he is. No fucking denial possible. He tried. Oh hell, he did. But he is unable to keep her out of his damn life and worn and torn heart.

Miles feels another wave of guilt wash over him. He once left base behind, a whole life behind, to walk all the way to Chicago. To Benjamin, to Rachel, to Danny. To her, to Charlie. So much innocence, wrapped up in ballet shoes and pigtails. He had to get to her. He had failed. He failed them all. He had build a Republic and failed at that to. Let the world burn some more after Rachel had destroyed it.

And watching her smile, and laugh out loud, a rare sound that broke through his heart. Watching Charlie enjoy herself, go to bachelor parties and enjoy every damn minute of it, as he is enjoying every second he gets to watch over her and chase guys away and make sure she is all right, is slowly killing Miles at breakfast. Tears ambush him, that blur his vision of his young niece.

He feels Bass' hand on his shoulder, a strong hand he would know everywhere. He watches bass, slowly raising his head.

'I know brother.' Bass' voice is low. Connor is silent next to them.

Miles just nods to Bass. Thankful that after everything that is happened, Bass is still here. Next to him. Brother to brother. And he remembers words from Bass, spoken with a baseball in his hand, in a green shirt and young open blue eyes when they were so much younger _. Your family is my family Miles_. _I am coming with you_. And so he did. And more tears ambush him. He shoves them away. But he cannot shove the love away that is there for Bass. For Charlie.

They both watch Charlie now, as both men eat their breakfast. Bass fills Connor's mug and Miles' mug with more coffee as Connor gets them some more eggs.

* * *

The mist outside is broken by the sun. And inside the bar, people are having breakfast, drinking coffee and are slowly waking up. Breakfast chases hangovers away. Coffee soothes tired heads. Brothers are sitting next to each other in a corner of bar and are having breakfast like they used to do. A morning turns into late morning and almost afternoon. Anthony is one fire as the whole town is buzzing with the wedding of the year that is now only hours away.

And Charlie, Charlie stands with an ugly screaming pink dress in her hands. The dress is a strapless and she stares at it with a straight not amused face. As she remembers all the reasons why she promised Aaron to wear this. She pulls the tank she is wearing over her head. She steps into the dress.

And she just makes a decision. Ugly dress or not. Pink or not pink. She is Charlie Matheson. She is not walking away from a stupid dress. For Aaron, she remembers herself. For Aaron. And, as Anthony would say, she is going to rock this thing. That is of course the moment she sees the shoes her mom left her. Silver small heels, with straps and pink details on the straps around her ankle. She sighs. Closes her eyes. Feels pissed. Counts to ten. And tells herself again. For Aaron. For Aaron she is still going to rock this thing. As she is silently bracing for certain blue eyes and everything that lies in there waiting for her.

* * *

The dress does not fit. It fits around her legs, ending right above her knee. A sea of pink around her. But it does not fit around her upper body. Because apparently, she needs bigger boos to rock this dress. Making her hold the dress right above her breasts, holding it tight with her hands, making sure it does not glide right of her slender body right down to the floor.

So in a sea of pink and her hands clutching the fabric right above her breasts holding the dress up, and with her head up high, Charlie walks into church.

Bass huffs, a deep roaring huff that turns into full blown grinning as he watches Charlie in a very pink dress and her fingers clutched around the fabric, holding on for dear fucking live. Miles looks up and chokes in his whiskey he has just been enjoying from his own flask at that same moment. Aaron mouth falls open, when a Charlie in full pink is approaching him. And Connor, he has to hold his hand before his face to not erupt out in laughter.

Charlie does not care. Well, that's a lie. She does. But she won't let the guys know she does. She is strutting down the aisle in her silver heels and pink dress. Fingers still holding onto the fabric.

She hears her uncle choke and laugh through the choking in his whiskey. Halfway through the church she watches Aaron and Connor being five year olds. She had braced herself for impact, and here they are The couple of men children she has to face every damn day with.

She just gives them her best smirk as she reaches the steps in front of the church. She turns, making the elaborate fabric of her dress twirl in the air around her. She lets the fabric around her middle and legs land on the steps with her as she is sitting like some fucking messed up princes in the middle of fluffy pink fabric.

Aaron is pressing his teeth together to spare Charlie more humiliation. Bass, Connor and Miles however are not even trying. Huffs of air escape their stupid mouths.

'Jesus,' Bass manages to get out between huffs and low laughter, a wide grin on his face.

'Well, maybe you can ask Jesus for bigger boobs, Monroe.' Charlie nods to the place her hands are resting against the skin of her chest, holding up the dress against her boobs with her hands. 'Because mine sure as hell do not work in this dress.'

That is the moment Miles curses. 'Oh hell No, Charlie.' And it is the moment Monroe' eyes are going instantly to her boobs of course.

'Oh Bass, I am begging you...don't look at her...' The former General of an entire Militia is unable to say the word Boobs. Miles face changes into thunder as he is unable to finish that line, as his face turns red in agony and his hand is now before his eyes.

'What?' Bass shrugs as he smirks with a fake dangerous innocence, his voice a bit too husky as he pushes his lips together.

His eyes intense blue and on her. Charlie watches Monroe, his face an instant mix of boyish handsome and screaming to be fucked.

'Oh relax Miles,' Charlie tries to calm everyone down as she just smirks at them and sits there in a pink dress. Her blue eyes bright and on her uncle. The fabric of the skirt circling all around her, the fabric resting on the steps. 'He has seen the boobs before. After weeks of travelling it happens.'

Bass almost chokes in his own spit.

'Charlie...' he tries to keep his voice relaxed as hell, as mild panic starts to spread into full blown panic as he feels the change in Miles. He eyes shoot from Miles to Charlie and back to Miles again. _Dammit,_ her and her big mouth.

Charlie turns to Bass. 'Oh relax Monroe, I have seen you too.'

'Ex...excuse me?' Bass shoots at her roughly. Full blown panic turns into something else, as he really wishes this whole conversation was not the fuck happening.

Charlie narrows her eyes a bit. 'The first night I saw you? Fighting that guy at Gould's tent, all kind of half naked?'

Connor looks stunned from his dad to Charlie.

Bass stands there, with his mouth open. Unable to think of any fucking thing he could say _. She was there. God, she had been there in New Vegas. Watching him fight._ But there is also something in her voice that makes him wonder all the other things and parts of him she might have seen. Looking at her eyes again, he is pretty fucking sure she is not only talking about his chest.

Of course that is when Rachel decides to open her mouth, hearing the last part of their conversation as she has reached their circle of pure hell Bass is finding himself in right now.

'What?' Her eyes go from her daughter to Monroe, as her voice is still curious but going to the sharp state of _I am going to fucking kill you Monroe. Again_. 'Charlie what are you talking about?' Rachel asks, impatiently and with slight disbelieve in her voice.

'And here we go..'Anthony is holding his breath as he tries to mask his excitement over the shit that is about to hit the fan. He can just feel it.

At that moment Miles tries to get Rachel to move back to her lists of flowers and other wedding shit and steer her away from his best friend and brother. His best friend's kid to be sure, because this is Rachel and capable of just about anything. And Charlie.

Miles is having enough of the whole awkward as hell talk about parts of his niece he does not want to talk about. And a half naked Bass he really does not need a visual of with his niece in the same damn fighting tent in fucking New Vegas.

Rachel looks stunned at the new information she just heard from her daughter. She is picturing Charlie in Vegas with Monroe. Her child with _that_ man. And as Miles is busy trying to reach her and reason with her. And as Aaron and Anthony are busy staring at a spot at the floor. And Connor is amusing himself with a confused and pissed of Rachel,Charlie looks around the church and the mild chaos that is forming.

It is in that moment, when everyone else is busy in blissful family chaos that Charlie turns to Monroe.

'Yeah I get it,' her voice is a perfect combination of Matheson sarcasm and flat strong Charlie as she turns back to Rachel, ' You are probably a bit confused with the time you saw him naked, you know, in Philly.'

Bass starts to curse in his head as a low groan of more hell escapes from his throat. His jaws about to explode from crushing his teeth together.

Charlie smirks at her mother who is looking like she is about to pass out. Her eyes shooting blue fire as Rachel. 'Right mom?'

And then she looks at him, as Bass feels his cheeks burn. Miles too damn close. Something inside of him shifts uncomfortably as his hands already reach for the gun in the waistband of his jeans he still carries around with him.

Rachel is looking stunned. Miles horrified. Bass looks now like he is about to pass out as Charlie watches him squirm and go all kinds of pale. She never _ever_ talked about it, mentioned it in any conversation. But her mom's attitude, the way Bass can be all ego and an asshole, she could not resist anymore.

'Aaand here comes the drama!' Anthony almost exclaims.

'Why...why..are you not killing me?' Bass voice is husk when he finally is able to look at Miles.

'Because I already know you moron.' Miles shoots back.

'You knew he knew?' Bass now turns to Charlie.

'Oh yeah, I knew he knew. Connor knew. I knew. We all knew.' She smirks at him. Takes her time to make sure he understands what she is saying. 'You idiots are not that hard to figure out.'

'Why are you not killing me?' Bass asks again, genuinely not understandig why Miles is not moving. He swallows hard, looking confused at the fact Miles is not making any move.'

'Oh relax you moron.' Miles rolls his eyes at him. 'I do not want to talk about this shit anymore Bass. It's done. Over.'

Bass looks lost. Completely and utterly lost. Charlie looks at him, now more serious for a couple of seconds only because she needs Monroe to understand this next part.

'Because we all have our share of shitty things in the past we regret, Bass.' Charlie's voice is clear, as she does not look away from Bass.

It is the first time she calls him Bass, not to mock him, not to fight him, because she needs him to know she understand. And make him understand something.

Rachel is looking from stunned to pissed, as her daughter is so clear about this. As Miles is not killing Bass and Bass is still looking at her daughter and yet again. Miles is not killing Bass.

Bass does not know what to say or do anymore.

As Rachel's eyes shoot blue at Charlie and disbelieve for her daughter talking like that to that monster and arrogant son of a bitch of a man that has crawled his way back into her life, and Miles' life. Her daughter's life. And they all let him. She does not understand why. She is losing the higher ground since the day they came back to Willoughby and she hates it more than she even hates Bass.

Bass is unable to look away from Charlie. Then, they hear all kinds of noises behind them. The doors of the church open and a large choir walks in. Followed by a stern looking Cecil who storms the church, together with Priscilla.

Charlie soaks in every moment of her mom looking stunned, finally keeping her mouth shut for once. Not on her high hoarse anymore.

Charlie soaks in every moment of dumbfounded Monroe. She will never ever mention this again, whatever the this mistake was between her mom and him.

But this, in this pink dress she is still holding up with her hands, her feet in ugly silver heels, this is her moment. She could mess with them, because it was in the past. Because she knew her mom loves Miles. Because they all had their stupid shit to regret from their past. But she was also done with being the stupid kid. With being quiet. With her moms speeches and Monroe being his stupid arrogant self all those long hours and days on the road.

'Oh don't you just love weddings.' Anthony says out loud, glee in his eyes for all the excitement. Content with all the drama that is unfolding. The shit is here to hit the fan, just like he knew it would. Because he knows three things. _Weddings, shopping and people_. And looking at the strong tall blue eyed man in front of him at Char, he knows the moment is here. Oh the drama indeed.

'Oh I think I really do.' Charlie agrees. She smirks one more time at Miles, Bass, her mom and Connor as she grabs her dress, turns around and walks out of the church in search for somehow who can help her make some alterations on this dress. A smile on her face and feeling in control in a sea of pink.

'Find someone to help you with that disaster of a dress, Char!' Anthony yells from the other side of the church.

Rachel throws daggers at him with her eyes.

Anthony just shrugs. 'What Rachel? That dress, it is fucking ugly. Sorry, but not sorry dear.'

The rest of the church, the friends and family in there are getting back to their activities after this little family outburst as Anthony does not even wait for Rachel to reply. The priest can breathe again as he shoots some silent prayers above, as Cecil is ordering each and every singer in the choir where to stand.

Leaving Bass stunned standing in a damn church, confused and in need of one hell of drink as he stands there with his mouth open. Watching Charlie exit the church in fucking pink. Her words and what she had just been telling him and the true meaning of them battling in his head. And several curse words battling to get out first.

* * *

 **Author's note: the first part of this chapter was more serious. In this intense week of fun and preparations, these emotions and moments in the story happen too. Of course, the pink dress made a come back for this chapter and then...Charlie had some fun! Now we have that part of the past out of the way, we can move on, everybody! :) I decided to pause here, and will update soon about the wedding, the dance...and much more!** **I love hearing from you so if you have time feel free to send me your thoughts and your feedback. Love from Love**


	7. One dress, one dance, one guy

_One wedding, one dress, one guy_

It is late in the afternoon when Bass shrugs out of his leather jacket with a deep almost tired sigh. He looks at the suit that hangs over the chair in his living room of his shitty as hell apartment. It is black and well tailored. Anthony had found the suit for him. No fucking idea where, but Bass could not really give a fuck about the details.

He had found one for Miles and his kid as well. Muttered something about it being Italian. Then he had thrown him and his biceps an approving look when he had the nerve to insist to try it on right there. Bass had barked back to the guy he was not some kind of circus monkey and told him to go fuck himself.

Bass kicks his legs out of his pants to get ready for Staypufts wedding. The suit, this whole damn week. He is standing in his living room, replacing his v neck for a clean white shirt.

And as he closes the shirt buttons, he remembers another wedding. _Ben's. Rachel's_. And he remembers the look Rachel gave to Miles when nobody was really paying attention. He _had_ been paying attention. He would follow his brother into any hell, but not to one with her playing a part there.

He had never liked the way Miles and Rachel played Ben. Bass knew Miles was a goner when it came to Rachel the night he was playing his guitar and she had crossed his path.

And the fact Rachel was about to say yes to Ben, knowing she was fucking in love with another Matheson brother, was unforgiving in his book. Bass had dated himself, he had slept around. But family. That honour code, it had been _everything. It still was everything to him, dammit_. And that wedding, it had been the moment he felt the first shift to something more cold then friendship towards Rachel.

God. Miles. A piece of himself there in dark eyes, through the years. Things had been good. Things had gone to hell.

And now, things are somehow easier between them. Rachel had been holding that night in Philly like a gun against his head ever since he walked across the map to this damn town with Charlie. And she had been ready to pull it when she would be or was sick of him and needed him out the picture. Because they both knew, Rachel _, the bitch_ , knew, that when it was her word against his, he would fucking loose. Or so he had thought.

Charlie had let it burst open, she had let the truth out. One night with a bottle when it had been just him and Connor, his kid had asked what had been the story with him and Rachel. Connor had already picked up on something. And with a head filled with whiskey and needing someone to understand his part of the story of that messed up night, Bass had told Connor the truth.

He had not counted on Connor telling Charlie the truth. He had not counted on Charlie to be like this. Understanding, loyal and taking no bullshit from Rachel. Charlie had singlehandedly removed that loaded gun against his head. _Fuck._ Saving his ass, again. He has been replaying the conversation over and over again. As he is seeing her eyes again.

He adjusts the sleeves of his suit jacket, ads the cufflinks that came with the suit. And all of a sudden, with one cufflink in his hand, he craves to see her again. _Like fucking now._

* * *

It is just before sundown.

Charlie is late. Very late. A church full of people and they are all looking at her when she tiptoes into church through the side entrance. The door shuts harder then she wants to, dragging even more unwanted looks to her and her dress. She is silently apologizing sorry to Aaron for being late.

Bass is drunk. On his way to being very drunk. Years of drinking taught him to mask it well, but the whiskey is all what keeps him on his damn feet this day. He hears heels, and as he turns around he sees her. Pink, ugly as fuck heels, and her apologizing to Staypuft for being late. God, she looks like she is walking straight out of a very bad chick movie. He can't help but grin.

The church is ready for the event. Pastels, pinks, candles in small groups. Flowers. A groom waiting, a bride behind the scenes waiting with Rachel. Cecil is throwing her a disapproving look that makes her roll her eyes. And tell herself that if she once faced an asshole General in a pool, she can face Aaron's mother in law.

After the Priest greets her, swearing she sees something of pity in his eyes for her having to wear this dress, she takes her place next to Aaron. And then of course, when she turns and faces all eyes from the guests that are glued on her and her lateness, in her in screaming pink dress and silver ugly heels she sees Miles, Connor and Bass looking damn fine in black well fitted suits.

She looks pissed for a second. Then remembers she is in a wedding and forces herself to smile and play her part. Ugly dress or no ugly dress. Miles throws her his very own _a you are late, kid_ smirk.

Aaron sighs with relieve when he finally sees his best man, _or best woman_ , standing next to him. In pink and silver heels. The one things that saves her dress is the fact that someone alternated the dress so it flows nicely around her upper body. She still is pissed, one look at her eyes Aaron knows so well, and he just knows. He looks from her to Cecil and scrapes his throat uncomfortably.

Charlie gives Aaron a nod as she stands next to him and people are softly chatting in front of her in many benches. God, she wishes she was in her boots, tank, jeans and a weapon strapped against her back when she is standing next to Aaron, the priest and right in front of Cecil. In front of Connor, and Miles, who will never let her hear the end of this.

And then, she looks at Monroe. Bass. And the asshole actually winks at her.

Before Bass can fucking help himself, he has already winked at her. It is an echo from time, from a time when Miles and him had some some with flirting with the ladies in the wedding as the main event of that wedding.

He watches Charlie roll his eyes at him, looking damn adorable when she does in that fucking ugly pink thing. But then, he watches something wash in red over her cheeks. _It could not be she actually..._ no fucking way. Bass shifts a bit on his spot on the bench, that is hard under his ass. Looking at her burning eyes and the way he can play with her and put that damn blush on her cheeks makes other things hard too.

Charlie is glad that the priest is scraping his throat, because the church silences. The choir handpicked by Cecil and that Aaron hates even more than her starts. And all the eyes are going to the church doors, waiting for the bride. All, but Bass' eyes, who are still on her.

* * *

The ceremony is short but sweet. Candles burn warmly, as the light that is now golden from the sunset outside streams inside. The flowers are fragrant and maybe a bit too much to Charlie's taste. But the church is filled with Aaron's and Priscilla's vows.

Their words filling the church with honest love and sincere words and a promise between two people that shuts up even her sarcastic disbelief in love and lasting things.

Aaron cries, Priscilla's smiles warmly.

There is nothing too much about this, even Charlie has to admit. It is real. The gathered friends and family applaud when Aaron kisses his bride. People move over to congratulate them as the last light of the day moves away for the night and gives way to a night waiting for them with wine, food, music and many hours to celebrate love.

They are standing outside the church. Charlie is greeting guests as they shake her hand and try to say something nice about her dress. But between all the well meant compliments, she watches three men not far from her.

Miles, Connor and Bass are standing close. Miles has already opened his top bottoms from his shirt and moved a hand through his dark hair, telling Bass loudly he has enough of the monkey suit. When Rachel shoots him a glare at that loud statement, Miles just shrugs and Bass' heart leaps in his throat. This is what it used to be. _Them._ Just the both of them. Brothers. Simple boys from a small town. Facing all the shit together and watching out for the other.

They are talking, Boyish grins on their faces. Bass is throwing an arm around Connor for a couple of seconds. Patting his kid on the back.

Her mother and Cecil are talking about what to do next, keeping everything on a tight schedule.

But Charlie just looks at the three men in front of her. _Her men_ , she thinks all of a sudden. No matter how much she protests when Anthony calls them that, they have already found a way to work their way into her heart. Because they are. Hers. And maybe Anthony is right. That she _is_ lucky to have them. All of them.

Aaron walks over to her and right before he hugs her, they share a look. Knowing the people that are not here today, _Ben, Danny, Maggie_ , _Nora_ , all of them, are with them, connected somehow through time and love.

'Congratulations Aaron.' Charlie smiles softly. She has already kissed Priscilla on her cheek quickly in the chaos of all the people trying to reach her to congratulate her.

But Aaron, he is different. The warmth in Aaron's eyes behind glasses and the moment overwhelm Charlie. She is crying tears without warning. Warm tears falling over her cheeks she bravely tries to swallow away, when she smiles at Aaron. Aaron does not hesitate when he moves over to her.

'Come here, kiddo.' She feels his beard tickle against her cheek when he hugs her.

It is the moment Miles stops being an ass to Bass for one second and just cannot talk anymore, watching his niece, cry openly, as Aaron hugs her.

'I love you.' Charlie says, it escapes her heart before she even knows it.

'Oh kiddo, you have no idea. Love you too.' Aaron answers her, tears on his own cheeks now.

They don't say it that much, Charlie does not say it all. But sometimes it needs to come out.

Bass is standing next to Miles and Connor. His brother has decided to not be a total sarcastic asshole when they watch Charlie cry though her smile and is now being bear hugged by Staypuft.

Three men fight some embarrassing tears on their own. Miles wishes he had the hilt of his sword under his hand, Connor just looks at Charlie with misty eyes while Bass scratches his throat.

'Well, at least see she is not wearing mascara.' Anthony says all of sudden behind them, when Charlie still feels Aaron hand on her back, soothing her. They break their hug as Charlie moves some tears away with slender fingers and turns to Anthony.

Anthony does not make the joke to be an ass, he is just trying to get the attention away from her, so she can gather herself. He looks at her. This woman has found a place into his heart as he moves some wrinkles out of her dress that are not there.

'All right folks! Food and booze..that way.' He yells pointing an arm into the direction of another building, his message welcomed by cheers and smiles and people following his direction. Aaron walks back to Priscilla as Charlie is about to walk over to the three suited musketeers.

But then she is suddenly stopped.

'Let's go,' Anthony whispers harshly into her ear, as he grabs her elbow and nods into the opposite direction with a short jerk of his head. Everyone is about to move to the place in town waiting for them to celebrate the new married couple.

'What are we doing?' Charlie frowns at Anthony.

'Get you out of that ugly excuse of a dress that is a crime against fashion, hon.'

* * *

It is blue. A deep blue. And silky. And flowing around her body. Smoothly draped around her breasts. The dress is fitting her this time, like water against her skin. Her back is dipped into deed deep winter night blue, but her shoulder blades are exposed in a low line. The dress has small bands around her shoulders, but leave her arms bare in a golden tan from the summer.

'It is too much Anthony.' Charlie says quietly, as she looks at her reflection in the mirror as she is not even recognising herself. Not being totally sure how to feel in this dress that has so much beauty in it that she feels out of place.

Anthony stands behind her as he finds her eyes in the mirror before them. His hand moving warmly on her upper arm. 'It is everything...everything you deserve sweetheart.'

Charlie smiles, as she looks at Anthony in the mirror. Feeling strangely cherished by this new friend she made.

'Look at us, crying our hearts out here.' Aaron waves with his hand, pushing some tears away. 'Now let's get to that party shall we, before your uncle and his BFF drink everything before we even get there.'

* * *

Charlie walks into the warm busy and festive hall in the centre of Willoughby with slow steps and eyes that take the hall before her in. The hall is turned into an elegant but not over the top festive hall. Candles that flicker slowly in glass jars fill the room with sparkling glowing light.

The sounds of glasses being filled reach her. There is an open bar. The scent of food, perfume and candles all around. Glasses in hands. A giant pile of presents on a table. The band is starting. Girls are giggling in corners, laughing shyly at men they hope will ask them for a dance later.

A dance floor with warm golden wood and a night to party and remember and forget everything else is waiting. The ceiling is high, and there are little balconies and banisters high above her, another floor high above her with a look out over the whole party hall. People are filling the party space, little groups and couples get together on the balcony's above her.

Her silver heels are replaced by beautiful deep blue ones. Elegant heels this time that make her walk with a little air under her feet. Anthony had muttered something about them being Italian. They are simply gorgeous. Her hair flows over one shoulder and moves with her as she starts to take the steps down towards the dance floor and the bar.

The light of the candles play with her dress. Charlie sees Aaron and Priscilla talking with a glass of wine in their hands in the middle of a small group of friends.

Before she can even wonder how she will walk down all the steps in her new very high heels, steps that lay between of her and a drink, Miles is with her in a heartbeat. Offering her his arm.

'Look at you, kid.' His voice is warm. Charlie does not need to know that Bass threatened to kind of kill his sorry ass, if he would not at least try to say something normal and nice to Charlie when she would walk in. _Be nice brother. Be nice_. 'Aaand...that's definitely not the dress you were wearing before.'

Charlie grins at Miles, standing tall before her as she softly leans into his side. Unable not to feel the love she feels for her uncle. 'That of course makes my night a bit harder, you know with killing everyone daring to even look at you.'

Charlie smiles, but then she feels something deep inside of her. Hoping her uncle is very drunk later that night and forgetting about that resolution later that night because of many whiskey he probably will be drinking. Because she hopes that there will be one man, one guy, who will be paying attention to her. And she rather not have her uncle around for that.

Miles offers her his arm as he walks her down the stairs like he has never done something else. He then all of sudden surprises her, bending his head towards her and taking her hand in his larger one. He places a kiss on her hand, gently and slowly.

This mushy wedding shit is making him do shit he normally would not even consider in public. But he can't help himself. Not with her. Miles does not miss the surprised look on his niece's face.

'Part of the charm.' Miles winks at her when he lets go of her hand and starts their way to the bar like true Mathesons.

* * *

The moment he finds her later with his eyes, Charlie knows. She just knows. Her skin recognises his eyes. **His** touch on _her_ skin, without even touching her. Feeling his eyes on the skin of her shoulder blades.

She is dancing with Miles, safely in his large arms. Her uncle is a surprisingly good dancer and she enjoys every minute of this night. She had many drinks, and the dress moves like a dream with her. When the song is over, Miles slows them down.

'Need a drink, kid. All the dancing here makes me kind of thirsty.' Miles smiles.

'Yeah, because you really are the guy that needs an excuse to drink.' Charlie smirks.

'Well, that could be true.' Miles laughs, looking away from his smart mouth niece.

He guides her through the crowd and away from the dance floor. His face so much lighter tonight. She enjoys Miles. Herself. They are having fun. She soaks it up, all of it, branding it into her memory.

'Oh hell..' Miles groans next to her, when another guy, one of Blanchard's, waves at him.

So, when Miles sees an officer he has to talk to to, Charlie just nods at him to go with a smile in her eyes.

She slowly makes her escape from the crowd, needing a minute for herself. She walks up the stairs and finds one of the balcony's empty and waiting for her. Her eyes then find him, talking so easily to some guys from Blanchard that want to make some conversation and have a drink with Monroe himself. He is enjoying his whiskey, his glass in his tall hand. Messy curls are looking so damn good it aches in her belly.

Her eyes follow his glass to his lips and she feels more liquid silk. But this time not against her skin, but between her thighs.

Connor finds her, leaning into a banister of the balcony, in a long dress that looks so good on her. She is looking out over the dance floor. With the jacket of his suit open and hands in his pockets he walks over to her, leaning into the banister next to her.

'Hey,' Connor's voice is low to not scare her, because she is so very much in thought.

'Hey yourself' Charlie smiles at him, slowly removing her eyes from Bass.

She has trouble to let him go with her eyes. Connor leans into the banister as well with his elbows, standing side to side with Charlie. Both of them facing the dance floor.

When Connor breaks the silence between them, he has warmth in his low voice.

'You know , I never thought you were afraid of a good fight, Charlie.' He says to her, not looking at her. He waits for a couple of seconds before he turns towards her.

Charlie looks at him confused. He just grins that young cocky smile of his, but his eyes are gentle. When she does not speak, Connor's eyes go to Bass and Charlie has trouble catching her breath.

He just smiles, leaning into the banister next to her, his arm next to her slender arm. He nudges her with his shoulder.

Charlie has to swallow, as emotions overwhelm her. She has gotten to learn a lot about Connor. He is that cocky smile, with hurt under ego and warm eyes every now and then for her. She sees Bass in there, but also something else. Someone else _. Emma_. Understanding, softer, even when he shoves it all away.

And it is with that little nudge from his shoulder into hers, that Connor tells her it is all right.

Charlie slowly looks at Bass again. Then to Connor who meets her eyes with a nod. She nods a thank you. And then, she straightens her back, her fingers move over the metallic of the banister. She slowly walks away from Connor, her eyes still on Bass.

Connor looks at her the whole way, hands in his pockets, walking away from him in blue silk.

* * *

Charlie feels her heart beat in her chest the whole way down the stairs. Her dress is flowing around her. Her heartbeat almost explodes like it does just right before a fight. A good sweaty all in fight.

Bass catches her eyes when she has almost reached the final step. Their eyes lock through the hall. Passing people, candles, food and drinks. They only look at each other as Bass is leaning into the bar.

Bass watches her move, so fucking hot and beautiful in that dress he has to follow her the whole way down the stairs. Blue silk, slender legs and as she moves down the steps and he moves his eyes down south, fucking stunning heels. He expects her to walk to the bar, or to Miles. To anyone but him.

But she fucking doesn't.

She sees in her eyes he did not expect her here when she arrives at his little group of officers and whiskey. 'Goodnight gentleman.'

Bass' eyes are intense and blue on her.

'Want to dance?' She asks, as she is stopping before him as the fabric of the dress flows against his leg as she stops. She asks him with a confident tone in her words but her heart hammering and afraid that if she did not say those words quickly, she was afraid she might never speak them at all.

'Well, gentleman,' Bass finishes his whiskey, as he puts the glass down on the bar behind him, never taking his eyes away from her even though they are surrounded by a group of men who cannot look away from a General and a blue dress. 'I have never let a lady wait.' He pushes his lips a bit firmly together. 'For anything.'

Charlie feels a moan deep inside her belly she tells to stay where it is.

Bass moves an arm towards the dance floor, teasing her to lead the way as the other officers wish them goodnight and go on with their night and whiskey's.

When he takes her hand, it is different than the way Miles takes her hand. His hand is warm and large and he guides her to the dance floor with almost military precision. And for a second, she sees the president there, the general, the man aware of his surroundings right before she feels he is only aware of her again.

He is walking right behind her, when his voice is tickling her ear and they turn to face each other.

'You are using me to piss of your mom?' Bass grins at her.

'Ah come on, it will be fun. I will even buy you drink after the dance, Monroe.' Charlie looks straight at him.

She smiles and smirks at the same time, not sure if the smirk or the smile wins. Her heart open before him, her arms too when he stops them and moves her right into his arm as another song starts.

'Well, I hate to disappoint a lady.' Bass shrugs and throws her a wicked smile.

A smile that is so warm and so playing with her knees up to the point she is not sure she is able to stand up straight anymore, from so close, he crashed deep inside of her, thunder of Monroe, of bass, of him deep inside her belly.

The song is there. But all she can hear is her own heartbeat, his blue eyes and his other hand that is finding a place against silk blue and her lower back, the warmth of _him_ , of Bass' hand shining all the through.

* * *

 **Authors Note: thank you so much for reading, you readers are the best for your feedback and kind reviews. Thank you SO much! Next chapter...next chapter will all be about Charlie and Bass. Until then? Love form Love**


	8. Walking her home and his arm around her

_Walking her home and his arm around her_

She dances with him. She watches him. He is slowly caressing her lower back with confident sure fingers. Slow movements of brushing fingers against her silky blue dress as his arm is around her. Charlie eases into him, her upper body slowly leaning into his whole chest now. He does not move away from her. He does not look away but also gives her space somehow. To breathe, to look. To feel. Holding her but never controlling her.

The room with candles in glass jars, guests, food, whiskey, wine and music swirls around them.

Bass watches her. He takes his damn time now he has Charlie in his arms. He does not know for how fucking long she is here. _Hell,_ he does not even know why Charlie is here. If she is here to piss of Rachel. Or to dance like friends. Years of paranoia telling him she is just taunting him with that dress and those eyes. Just because she can.

But then Bass finally feels Charlie relax, and he realises the tension in her body is not because she is here for another round of who gets to mess with who between them. Bass feels how she voluntarily guides her own upper body, _her breasts_ , her belly into his chest and hips. And everything else falls away. This is Charlie. And if she does something, she is all in.

And then it crashes through his mind as his arm refuses to move and let her go. _She is here for him._

* * *

Charlie knows she can't spend the rest of the evening with Bass, locked with his eyes and into his arms into the music on the dance floor. But somehow, their eyes won't let go of the other. She does not want to leave his arms behind. Now she finally got there, she cannot leave the place that is him anymore.

They both play more and more with the space between them. Or the lack of space. Her body that seeks out more of his. His thighs that shift just a little bit to let the silky fabric between her thighs rest against his leg as he is almost brushing the sensitive spot between her thighs with hard muscles.

Their movements while dancing are small and slow, but they are pulling the other one in.

But then, people start to applaud as the music fades. Aaron stands up next to Priscilla. All eyes move to him as he starts to give a loving speech about gratitude for Priscilla and for everyone coming. There is more applause. Bass is still standing next to her, after he had to let her the hell go because the music stopped.

She had to leave his arms behind now Aaron is talking. But all the time, he is standing right behind her. Her ass is touching his thigh and Bass is making smooth circles on her hips with his fingers. This time, not unlike the confusing moment in the bar with the Bachelor party, Charlie knows for sure his fingers are intended for her to feel. He is still playing with her body, even when she cannot look into his eyes right now. And she smiles as she looks at Aaron. But it is Bass' hand, his fingers that are slowly moving her core to a liquid point.

After the speech all the guests are sending the married couple into their night. Aaron manages to just wave at her as a goodbye. Charlie smiles back and unladylike yells her goodbye towards him as the guests whish the married couple goodnight in a sweet chaos of alcohol and happiness.

* * *

The night is on the way to a new morning as deep black sky and stars are above her. Miles just declared he sees two Rachels. Connor just told them goodnight with a grin aimed at Charlie and Bass as a blonde is dangling from his arm and he is setting course for his place.

'Come on buddy, let's get you home.' Bass says as Miles is very drunk and unsteady on his feet. He is ready to move his brother's arm around his neck to get him home as Rachel steps in.

'I think I can handle it Bass.' Bass huffs at her words, god, he will never figure out how she can put so much haughtiness in a couple of words. Miles is too drunk to react in his normal way.

'Oh come on Rach, Bass is a moron but he is my moron. He just...' Miles almost trips over another step that stands between him and the street right under his damn boots, as both Charlie and Bass step in to steady him. '...he...wants to help Rach.'

Rachel looks from Miles to Bass. She knows Miles loves her, but she also knows that how much she has tried and will try, Bass won't go anywhere. But she is still Rachel Matheson, and she still has her pride and loathing for Bass. SO with a small huff of condescending air she moves next to Miles and steadies him.

'Come on Miles, I am taking you home.'

'Goodnight uncle Miles.' Charlie smirks at all the sweet kind of drunk from her Uncle. He will be in one mood tomorrow but for now she gets to watch and enjoy Miles like this as Rachel and Miles are walking home.

'Night Kid!' Miles yells drunkenly, swirling the words together in a drunken speech. 'Night moron!' That one is aimed for Bass.

Both Charlie and Bass hear Rachel say something disapproving and both of them grin.

'Night dickhead.' Bass booms through the night, making Charlie giggle. Bass looks from Miles to her. She stops giggling and just looks at him.

And then as Rachel and Miles disappear from sight, they realise it is them. A night ahead, stars above them in a pitch dark sky and a town in slumber.

'Want me to walk you home?' Bass scratches the back of his head.

Charlie smiles slowly. Finally she sees some insecurity in this normal so in control man. It is kind of adorable.

'Sure.' She smiles at him as Bass grins at her.

Her dress moves slowly with a nightly breeze as Bass walks her home. She leans more into him with every corner they take on the way to her apartment. Her hip brushes his thigh. Then he gives up any kind of pretence this is not happening.

'Come here,' he says, with low voice that spreads straight through her chest.

Charlie just smiles at him as he moves an arm around her, pulling her into his tall body as they walk together. Her fingers find the back pocket of his pants, lazily walking next to Bass, as her heat starts to race again, but somehow there are warm swirls inside her belly too. For him. For Bass.

'Shit.' Charlie curses all of a sudden. Coming to a sudden stop on the empty silent street next to Bass.

Bass starts to chuckle at hearing her curse after he made sure nothing the fuck is happening to her. Charlie feels stuck and as she watches down, _his eyes not far behind_ , her heel is stuck between a little ridge into the concrete of the street. She tries to wiggle herself and her high heel loose, but the damn thing does not move.

Bass is grinning at so much of her determination to break her heel free from where it is stuck. Charlie is rolling her eyes at him. Feeling all kinds of stupid and annoyed for this to happen.

'Here, let me help, Charlotte.' Bass says closely to her hear.

And then, she watches him get through his knees. Large hands are around her ankle. She moves her hand to his shoulder to steady herself. Bass frees her heel and then slowly looks up. His hands are still on her ankle but then move slowly up to her calve.

Charlie Matheson stands with her hand on Sebastian Monroe's shoulder, her blue silky dress softly whispering and moving with the night breeze, Bass in a black Italian suit in the middle of Willoughby.

Charlie is thankful for his wide shoulder under her hand to help steady her. His fingers, with rough calloused skin, stimulate the inside of her leg now, right under her dress.

And then he slowly gets up, one hand moving over the fabric of her dress over hip and her side. He looks at her, as he gently puts his head in between his fingers. Tilting her head to meet his eyes. He is taking his time and Charlie is about to get impatient, but then, his lips brush hers, his mouth takes her and nothing else matters.

Bass is kissing her. In the middle of the Texan night. Under pitch dark sky and little bright dots of stars they stand there. And she tells herself over and over again. Bass is kissing her.

After the slow burning kiss he walks her home, brushing the skin of her arm as he has her right under his arm again, her body next to him. Charlie on his lips.

Charlie can still taste him. She can sense him. The scent that is Bass, manly warm and sweaty with leather even if his jacket is not around his shoulders today. He stops before her front door. She opens it slowly. Then turns around to meet his eyes. He is leaning into her doorpost.

A small grin plays around her lips.

'So, I know I am not as old as you..' There is is, the teasing, so easily. So her. '...so I am not sure what you used to do here exactly. But aren't you supposed to at least try to get yourself invited to come in?'

Bass grins, absolutely blown away with a Charlie that is so free with him. But then, his face drops, the way only Bass' face can drop within one second.

Charlie's face can only follow his. Her eyes asking of his, of him, what is wrong. To include her in why he is looking so lost all of a sudden. He takes his time to gather enough courage to answer. When he does, his voice sounds tired and low.

'You. Connor...' he starts.

Charlie feels a pang in her chest. Connor. Vegas. It should have never happened. Charlie is never afraid of a good fight, and Connor made her remember that. In New Vegas, she choose to walk away from that fight, away from him. From Bass.

'Me and Connor are in the past. And just friends. It should have never happened Bass.' Charlie refuses to look away just because this is hard.

'Why?'

'You know why Bass.' Charlie looks into his eyes, his face serious.

And Bass remembers. Duncan, the tent, New Vegas, the way he had dismissed her after all the fights they had been in as equals. After all she did for him. He had basically told her to go and play outside like some damn kid. He knew nothing would happen between him and Duncan, but he sure as hell knew he had made it look it was about to. He had pushed her out. She had been hurt.

'I was hurt. Confused. You, me...we...' Charlie looks angry, angry at herself for not finding any kind of words that translate into how she feels. She does not miss the way Bass' eyes light up the moment she talks about them as a _we._ As in them.

'We were so much then, Bass.' She finally says.

Bass steps closer to her, brushing her arm, unable to not touch her, sooth her for a couple of seconds. She lets him.

'You and my mom?' This time is her turn. He knows she has the right to ask.

'We were both playing one hell of a messed up game, Charlie. Both pushing each other, when she hated me. And god, I hated her for showing up instead of Ben. And all that time she knew how to turn back on the power and still she was keeping her mouth shut when everything in this world went to hell. She made me loose so much too, Charlie.'

Bass is surprised and taken aback by how much he is sharing with Charlie right here at her front door. At how this is happening between them in this simple but yes so loaded moment between them. It is the moment she puts her hand on his upper arm.

'I know bass.' Her voice is filled with compassion she can only give him.

Bass' eyes light up in aching surprise. 'Miles...'

He looks defeated when he pushes his lips together and feels stupid tears ambush him.

'Yeah, it was Miles. He told me about her, about your daughter.' She doubts if she should mention them. But she does it anyway.

And Bass' final defence for telling himself to not feel like this about her bursts open at how she is not afraid to talk about this. To mention two people he had to leave in time. To mention them, his family, with respect after all the fucking things he did.

They are silent. Look at the other The night a soothing companion.

'Come inside Bass...' Charlie nods.

'You sure you don't want me to go? You want me inside?' His voice is low and unsure.

'I want you here Bass.'

They are not talking just about him walking into her room, her life, her house. She is telling him it is okay to take that next step. Not only physical but with two torn hearts that found each other and sooth the other the best way they can. So he follows her inside. She locks the door behind them.

He makes a fire, she plays with his hair, standing right behind him in her small apartment. They know this. This is them. A night to share and a fire to make.

They did it from the beginning.

Bass gets up slowly. Looking at her. Brushing her cheek. 'God, Charlie, I swear you have no idea how much I want you...'

'Have been wanting you for so long now Bass..' Charlie says softly. 'But I...'

'Hey, it's okay, I get it...' Bass comforts her with his low steady voice that moves through her chest.

And he does. He really does. Charlie knows he does somehow. The aching burn of hearts want to give freely but torn by time and so much hurt. Bass gets it.

She plays with the button on his shirt. His eyes blaze into hers. Her fingers open the buttons and she caresses the skin that is exposed right under his neck and collarbones.

They never takes their eyes away from the other. Just like in that pool, when they were hurting each other with words and stares. But this time their eyes are not there to hurt or inflict pain by lashing out any way they can.

Just like that time they rolled him into town, in a cage and Charlie felt the cold clutch at her heart for losing him. But this time, their eyes are not filled with regret of never telling the other what they wanted to share. This time, Bass is here, without steel bars to separate them. Without bars that prevent him from needing to touch her as he had watched her eyes turn with sorrow and so much more he had to look away the moment he watched her through that steal cage and all he wanted to do was press her against his chest.

Just like they looked at each other so many times. Under the trees, on a path in the forest, at a bar in New Vegas where she had almost drowned in his eyes. Near a train.

They never take their eyes away from the other when he slowly moves his fingers under her dress. They never take their eyes away from the other when her fingers help him out his black suit jacket and pull his white shirt from the waist band of his pants. Bass looking at her when her slender fingers dip under the waist band of his pants and into the skin.

Bass cannot look away , he needs to see her, all of her when he moves her slowly onto the bed. He moves halfway over her, as she settles herself against his chest.

Her fingers and hands search for him frantically all of a sudden.

'I am right here, Charlotte.' He whispers hoarsely.

He feels her relax, and watches her eyes fill with knowing he is. Knowing, as he has been knowing for so long, she needs someone steady and strong enough to face her, to fight with her and stay there with her.

He wants to be all that for her.

Charlie looks at him. And right there, his way of showing he is there, so sure, so strong, so much kindness in blue eyes, she knows. She knows why Miles was never able to not love him as a brother and let him go. Bass is there, working his way into your heart and under your skin. And when he is in, he is in. There is no way back when it comes to Bass.

Bass is kissing her arms, and shoulders and belly and thighs. Telling her over and over he is here. She watches how he plays with his fingers, letting them run over her thighs as he finds that one spot between her thighs.

She moans, as Bass' eyes light up and his lips turn into a lustful smile before his eyes fill with more lust for her and he uses his lips to kiss her.

They look at each other so they do not have to miss any second of any of this. So she does not have to ask him with words what she needs.

Bass raises her leg, shifting himself in between her slender tanned legs. His cock is heavy with desire and need for her.

Charlie watches him. Bass watches her. And he feels how she is slowly welcoming him, inch by inch. He watches her gasp, and he never felt more in control, knowing that he _, he_ is making her feel this way.

He is taking her slow and sets a slow rhythm. And it is the way she keeps looking at him that almost brakes him, as he is thrusting inside of her. But is the way she looks at him that is also keeping him whole and keeps him from falling apart as she circles her arms around her neck.

'Bass...' it a slow whisper in the middle of the night.

'I am here, Charlotte,' His voice is a hoarse whisper in between their warm connected bodies.

He hears her whimper as he wants to tell her over and over he is here. That he has her. That she is safe here with him. And it almost breaks his heart that when he tells her he is here, she feels safe enough to start to let go, as she starts to come and fall apart in his arms. He feels her constrict around him at the same time as she pushes herself deeper against his chest and into his arms.

He holds her as he lets her come. 'I've got you. I've got you Charlie...'

Charlie feels she just wants to burry herself into his arms. His words and arms and him touching her everywhere, holding her everywhere making her seen by him, shielded by him. And safe. She feels like she can be her and let go at the same time when Bass holds her and tells her he has her.

Another moan, this one deeper and filled with release reaches him.

'Bass...' she comes in slow waves that move through her whole body.

Bass lets her come, he catches her, and then, he starts to move again. Eventually, he will have to let go too. He is losing that fight fast. Her in his arms, wanting him. _Him_. Trusting him enough to let go. It is too fucking much. Charlie now wraps her arms around him, not letting Bass go, feeling he needs her arms just as much as she needs his.

'Fuck..Charlie...' he groans deeply as he comes deep inside of her, all thoughts of pulling out in time fucking gone. His sweat dripping from his chest over her breasts in small drops of salty arousal. It is a grunt that is so pure and low, that it moves straight to Charlie's centre, wrapped around him.

They look at the other in shock and without walls there of crude remarks and loathing eyes that keep them apart. They hold each other with burning closeness as Bass kisses her deeply and moves her back with him as he finds a place next to her warm sweaty body in her bed.

They are panting, looking, slowly touching.

And they start all over again, hands touching. Love making. And eyes locking.

* * *

 **Author's Note So, here we are, the part in the story with all the passion. I loved writing them! Charlie and Bass, those two are always so much fun. There will be another chapter soon with more passion, Charloe and this week of parties and a wedding. Thanks for reading and reviewing, knowing you are enjoying this story with me, makes my whole day every time! If you have some time, a review or your feedback is so very much appreciated. Love from Love**


	9. Brunch and a lot of Bass in bed

_Brunch and a lot of Bass in bed_

She came before. But she never came like this. And she woke up before, when it was not just her, but not like this. Not with him. Not because of him.

Charlie wakes up with the sun in her air and the scent of Bass all around her. It is good place to wake up, she thinks to herself lazily and sated. Her dress somewhere over an armchair as a silent witness of how Bass took her right on that armchair only hours before. So intensely, she can still feel him inside of her.

After he made her come more than once in spectacular ways, after he came and they started all over again, he had pulled her effortlessly into his large arms and moved her to the armchair that stood in the corner of the room. The room was dark, only illuminated up by soft low light from the fire in the fireplace. The armchair was a comfortable one, shielded in the shadow of the night. It had made her feel more sensual and in control, there in the shadowy corner of the night and his arms. His hard evidence for wanting her so much between her thighs, his voice close to her ear.

'Show me what you got,' Bass teased her with a low gruffly voice. His eyes were filled with lust and challenge, a small smirk spreading around his lips when he had seen when and how she had accepted his challenge.

His large hands had been around her hips when she had pushed herself a bit higher in the air and over his chest and then moved over his cock, slowly filling herself with him all the way to his balls. He was buried deep inside of her when she had placed her hands on his stomach and chest to brace herself. And she had started to move, meeting his eyes with movements of her hips.

His grip had been strong and he had kept her in one place. Placed over his cock and against his chest, there in his lap. She watched something wild, with so much need in his eyes she almost had felt tears well up that were building up again with another orgasm.

'Just hold on to me Bass..' Charlie whispered to him between panting and fast breathing as she had looked for his eyes, feeling Bass needed her close.

Bass looked her with blue intensity as he grabbed her even tighter and started to thrust deep inside of her with force.

She had felt him breathe as he held her even closer. Bass swallowed, by so much honesty and strength and her in those words.

She had been sated and trembling, by the time he came again seconds after falling into deep bliss. This time Bass came all over her lower back, barely able to pull out in time. Charlie felt how he came, when his arms captured her close to his chest. He pumped himself in two fast strokes to completion with needing jerks of his arm she could feel right behind her, close to the curves of her ass. His arms had been searching for her and her name had been a needing growl and whisper in one, his voice low and filled with coming hard. His arms wrapped around her back like he could not conquer enough of her and keep her right there with him.

'Let's get you back to bed, Charlotte. ' His voice had moved to a lower gentler place. He had brushed some hair away from her face and looked at her like nothing else mattered. Probably nothing did now. Just them, they were all that mattered. And she had not been able to think anymore. Just feel. She had just let Bass carry her back to her bed.

He is right there again next to her now she has opened her eyes. The sunlight that now fills the room, after moans and panting and his low voice reassuring in her ear, falls onto her high heels on the ground. She is not a girly girl, not by a long shot. But she knows those shoes will hold memories for this night now. She grins, Anthony would be proud of her for thinking like that.

She feels the sheets he placed over them and his bare feet close to hers under the sheets.

Their family is busy having breakfast, or as Anthony called it, is busy having brunch. Anthony promised her warm bread , and left over cake and chocolate and strawberries and coffee. But then Bass kind of happened and he tasted even better than all the coffee and warm bread, cake and chocolate with strawberries that could be waiting for her. Although Bass with cake in one bed could work, Charlie thinks, and giggles softly. She makes a note for herself to work on that little matter, fast.

She smiles, as she is sure Anthony will understand.

So a couple of blocks away, when she feels Bass' tall body behind her in her bed, their friends and family are having brunch.

Aaron and Priscilla are married again and having their first breakfast as a newly already wed couple. Miles and Rachel are joining them, and so is Cecil. Anthony is busy arranging everything. The stripper from the bachelor bash is sitting next to him at his spot at the table. Miles has already commented on all the love around this table and all kinds of shit that are too girly for him ,like cake and strawberries, before coffee with sarcasm in his voice. Rachel kicked him under the table right after.

Aaron makes another round, asking people if they want some fresh coffee. It is his last and he has a splitting headache, but he does not care. Or he kind of does, but he knows that this is worth it. Seeing his family and friends happy and around them drinking coffee is a sight he never thought he would get to see. For real this time, happening right in front of him. Love and people tangible and to hold close.

He caresses Priscilla's hair as he presses a kiss on top of her head when he walks behind her and around the table. He calls her Mss. Pittman in a loving way when he asks if she wants more coffee. Priscilla is answering him with a warm smile and telling her new husband for the second time she would love another round of coffee. They are both ignoring Cecil's disapproving looks at all the caffeine and cake for breakfast. Neither of them care.

Connor finds a place at the table too, with a grin on his face that makes Miles rememb a younger Bass with a bolt of warmth and hard aching in his heart at the same time. Connor has that big grin from his success with the ladies from the night before. Miles is pouring him a cup of coffee for a hangover they share together. Of course Rachel frowns at Miles for making friends with Monroe's devilish kid, but Miles does not care.

This is Connor. A piece of Bass. A piece of Emma. He fucked up by keeping him from Bass. But the intention behind that mess is still there. Keep an eye out for the kid, just like he promised Emma when he had hugged her goodbye that days so many years ago in Jasper. His hand on Connors shoulder. Just like Miles knows Bass wants him to do. They look out for the other, look out for their families. That was, is and always will be how they look out for the other.

Connor nods at him shortly and Miles is surprised by how much it means for Connor to give him a change. And then, Miles turns around to scan the room with his eyes.

'Anyone seen Bass or Charlie?' Miles asks, still in a mood from hell from his hangover, vaguely remembering all kinds of shit he said to Bass and Rachel dragging his ass home last night. 'That moron is always hungry and never late for breakfast.' His face moves into a deeper frown.

It is Anthony that mutters something that is close to a curse and dear god help us all as he shares a quick look with Aaron, who keeps his breath for a bit. At that moment Aaron knocks over a glass of juice, creating a diversion to keep Miles from asking more questions. But Aaron knows his friend, Miles will connect the dots soon enough. Monroe is still not his favourite guy. But Miles killing him now, just when they are starting to get along would be such a shame. And Charlie, that girl. If she choose him, for whatever reason, Aaron will have her back That was, is and always will be how they look out for the other.

His distraction and Anthony brining more food to the table is how they make the morning buzz come back to the table, as everyone starts to eat and drink their coffee and both Anthony and Aaron can breathe. For now.

Miles goes back to drinking his coffee. Connor is eating some warm bread and chewing while he is grinning and trying to hide it behind his hand. _Oh Miles, will figure it out soon enough_ , he thinks. But breakfast first. A week of taking care of a lot of girls in Willoughby made him hungry.

At the other side of town and blissfully unaware of certain people and in particular certain uncles and best friends who are starting to notice her and Bass missing from the breakfast table, Charlie lazily remembers all of last night with a smile playing around her lips.

She feels Bass is already awake, his body next to hers and a low groan in her ear. Making her body remember that she is not sated, not even close. She lets him play with her body, something else Bass is so very good at. She could throw that in his face, but she can't. Not anymore. Not when they are what they are know. What they have become. There is no going back anymore.

Charlie stretches, she yawns. Making Bass curse something when Charlie does not prevent her ass from touching his cock. He hungrily moves a hand over her side, his fingers close to warmth between her legs. He has been awake for quite some time, and hearing Charlie giggle and almost think out loud lazily stretched out next to him, had made him listen to her and just hold her, not being able to get enough of her.

'Aren't we supposed to be at brunch?' She asks, turning her head to Bass.

Bass chuckles, a low sound coming from his throat. Hearing Charlie say shit like _brunch_ , has him grinning and her pissed at him for grinning. She does this thing with her nose and her eyes in annoyance that makes him plant a kiss on her nose. She softens under his touch. Still pokes him in between the ribs though.

'If it is between you in bed with me and brunch... I say, fuck brunch.' Bass almost growls, but with a lightness in his blue eyes.

And in bed, on this early morning, and their family having brunch close by and with Bass' wide arms around her, Charlie is laughing. Freely. At him. Because life gives her something to laugh about again. She almost forget what it was like. It is light and fulfilling and strangely familiar. She almost forgot. But her family makes her remember.

 _Bass makes her remember._

 _T_ he sound of her laughter is filling the space between them, between two warm bodies, between white sheets and blue eyes and soft breasts as Bass does not waste any more time and demands her mouth and pulls her in for a long searing kiss.

* * *

 **Author's note Our week of wedding, banter, preparations and romance almost comes to an end. I thank you for reading thischapter and for and sending me all your amazing feedback, following this story and taking the time to let me know you appreciate this. I adore reading your reviews and all of them mean so very much. There is one more part of the story to tell in next chapter. I hope to see you there! Love from Love**


	10. Three years later and golden warmth

_Three years later,_

 _and golden warmth_

Bass is sitting on the corner of his wooden desk, a report in his large hand. A glass of whiskey is not far away.

It is three o' clock on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. He has left his office early to get some work done at home. That and to fuck his brains out with Charlie. He has been screwing her on the bed and then some more on their couch half an hour later. Being a general again has its luxuries.

Charlie is one well cherished luxury he keeps close to his damn heart.

There was no way back, after a night of wild fucking and eyes that already betrayed so much that they had not been ready to share with each other and the world that was waiting outside the safety of strong arms and soft curves in their bed for them. After that one night and lazy long morning in bed missing brunch after Aaron's and Priscilla's wedding, they are still them. Bass Monroe. Charlie Matheson.

 _Charlotte_ when he is lost in her and fucking her. Or yanking her chain. _Monroe_ when Bass is pissing her of. All three of those things is happening a lot.

Whatever they became fast after that night of passion, they wanted the both of them to keep between the both of them and eye locks and cool sheets and nights wrapped up in the other for as long as they could. Too afraid it would slip away again. Break again. Leave them again. Die on them again. Things were impossible and complex and intense enough without their families trying to interfere and the rest of their lives crashing in. It had worked, until Miles had found out.

 _Two and a half year ago, a winter day in Willoughby_

The fact that the new guy Charlie would bring home for dinner from now on would be Sebastian Monroe, _yes the former dictator of a Republic, yes the former General and now General working for Texas again and yes, former best friend and brother turning into best friend and brother to Miles Matheson all over again_ , was not something either Bass or Charlie expected to be well received by their families.

After being late for brunch, they had both gotten away with it with some lame excuses. Bass had played an award worthy performance of the moody guy with a hangover and had grunted something towards Miles about booze when he had dragged his ass and leather jacket into Aaron's and Priscilla's home and Miles had been shooting him a what the hell look. Taking advantage of the fact that his brother had been drinking far too fucking much as well.

Charlie had found out the meaning of true friendship from Anthony that afternoon with her arriving for a very late brunch and Rachel's prying eyes on her. She watched an Anthony who was quite literally putting his life on the line when he had flat out lied against Miles and Rachel. Telling them both Charlie had been helping him with some cleaning up at the party place from the night before. He had winked at Charlie and Charlie had smiled at him.

'Well, you look...well rested.' Anthony had said with awe and a smile in his eyes when he had walked over to her and he was clearing some plates from the table and giving her some cake and coffee he had saved for her. His eyes going from her to Bass. He had watched Charlie blush in front of him.

Charlie had felt her cheek burn with the memory of Bass' fingers burning through slik wet skin and him buried deep inside of her with his low gruff voice whispering things in her ear that made her core wet and knees almost give out under her when she thought of how she had asked him for more and told him to never stop. Remembering his eyes locking into hers and Bass saying her name with low deep desire and yet with gentleness she was only starting to get to know by heart.

Anthony had turned his head closer to Charlie.

'Good for you hon.' His voice was warm and sweet and honest.

Charlie had been overwhelmed with knowing her little secret was out and yet safe with Anthony who made her glow in familiar safety of their growing friendship. Making him the one guy right that morning she had been able to share whatever the hell she had been feeling. And still feel safe to do so. Charlie had not been able to help herself when she hd to look across the room to Bass who had been looking at her quickly, while he was shoving some left over cake in his mouth.

That morning and golden warm days turned into autumn. Into more encounters between her and Bass whenever they had time to spare and find for the other. Autumn turned into winter. The temperature has dropped and the streets of Willoughby are abandoned on this very cold day.

But there is one man walking across the street. Two swords are hanging next to tall legs, strapped to the belt around his middle, a necklace around his neck and the shoelaces from his army boots carelessly tied.

Miles has gotten into another fight with Rachel and has gone to look for his best friend for some brotherly comfort and bitching about Rachel with some good old whiskey. Rachel has kind of kicked him outside the house. Telling him with cold hate and loathing he could sleep on Bass' couch that night since he was spending so much time at his place already. Shutting the door in front of his face. But not before she had been giving him the look of cold hell.

He is walking to Bass' couch he probably will spend the night, if not more, on and his boots drag him through the streets of Willoughby. It is a late cold winter afternoon. And as Anthony would say himself, the shit is about to hit the fan.

When he walks into his brother's home for some comfort from winter and cold eyes from Rachel, he walks straight into Bass soothing some parts of Charlie he really wished he had not seen.

'What in the hell...' Miles starts.

Both Charlie and Bass look up. They had made love and Bass had been cursing at himself for asking her to stay for some dinner after . She had just looked at him at told him yes, as she had kissed his shoulder slowly. They had made it to the food eventually.

She had been sitting on his kitchen counter. Bass had stood next to her, leaning into to it in a relaxed way. She was able to make him relax, to make him feel seen. Wanted. A feeling he had lost for so long and she had singlehandedly returned that part of him.

They had talked, listened to the other, joked around. Finding themselves needing to know more from the other. More stories, more time. Bass had moved some small piece of fruit away away, a little piece of fruit stuck on the corner of her lips. She had smiled, he had brushed her jaw. It had been good and real. They had been enjoying dinner. With their clothes on again, which is a good thing for Miles now.

Bass turns Miles' way who is looking in shock at Bass and Charlie. Eating, talking, Bass' hand on Charlie.

'Miles...' Bass has that slow long burning tone in his voice he uses to calm Miles down. It's the sound of him slowly approaching and trying to reach Miles. He steps right in front of Charlie because it is the first thing he thinks of when he sees thunder like that in his best friend eyes.

Charlie is somehow warmed by Bass standing up for her, and his primal reaction to always get in front of her and any kind of threat. Even when that threat comes from a very pissed uncle. But she still rolls her eyes at him for thinking she cannot take care of herself.

'You son of ...' Miles steps in. What are you doing man? What have you done to her?'

'Miles, stop it, it is not like that.' Charlie yells.

'Hell Charlie, come on, get your crap, we are leaving, right now.' Miles is seething with rage as he is pissed and looking with stern dark eyes at his niece.

'Hey, you watch it,' Bass' deep low voice booms through the room at the way his brother is talking to Charlie, to his girl. To her. His voice is laced with danger and threat.

Bass is standing right in front of Miles. He is standing face to face with the guy that is his second heart beating inside his chest.

He knows Charlie is not far, standing next to him. And man _, fuck_ , haven't they once stood like this before under an old run down bridge right outside Willoughby years and a fucking lifetime ago.

Charlie looks directly t Miles, now pissed too. She steps away from Bass, away from behind his large shielding back and into the space between both men. A place that reminds her of another day, of standing here, between these two men that are so much her life right now. And she finds herself in almost the same position.

She knew this was coming and she needs Miles to understand what she has come to slowly understand herself. But she is not stepping away from Bass.

Miles looks from Bass to Charlie and shuts his mouth before he looks back to Bass.

'I get that you are pissed all right. And maybe you have the right to talk to me like that. Maybe.' Bass voice is still low but with the immediate threat out of it.

But there is still a warning in his tone. Bass feels a hint of old hurt and rage flowing under his skin. It is an old sneer for all the times Miles left him, for all the times that Miles had been banging and pining after a woman who had not been free and belonged to Ben, the moment she told him she loved him and that she would marry him.

Charlie narrows her eyes at Bass. Bass is truly starting to get more pissed now. New anger for Miles storming in like this and old anger for all of Miles his fucked up decisions an mess he could create when it came to love. Love for a woman and family. Part of his heart breaks free to rebel against Miles and tell him to go fuck himself at standing in his own god damn home and daring to give him a speech about this. About her.

Part of him is pissed for Miles not trusting him with Charlie. After everything he has fucking done for her. But he also understands.

Both him and Miles, they are broken and put back together in time. Neither of them being the same anymore, neither of them the men they used to be.

But here, his old heart fights to accusations that he will ever do anything to hurt her. But he needs Miles to see. To understand.

And it is when Charlie places a hand on Miles' chest, it is her all over again, that mends them.

'Miles, I am here _because_ I _want_ to be here.' Charlie says slowly, almost gentle but with so much strength in her words.

It is like the fight slowly leaves Miles when he is looking at her. They stand there, the three of them. Matheson and Monroe. Eye to eye as Bass feels Charlie's warmth in her heart next to him.

Later that day, Miles walks into the bar. He has told them both he needs some time after he places a well placed fist in Bass' face without warning.

Both of them know he will be back. Miles finds them in their corner of the bar. He sits down in front of Bass and Charlie.

'You morons take care of each other and please, I am begging you...keep the stupid to a minimum.'

'Will sure do.' Bass grins with gratitude shining through in his eyes for Miles coming through. Telling his brother he will take care of her. A small nod of Miles tells him his brother knows. If he has not know all along.

Charlie grins at Miles, but with a soft look in her eyes. 'Thank you, Miles.' Charlie says him with a softer heart, allowing herself to let something out she normally does not share that easily.

She thanks him for so much. For him, for being there, for giving this a chance, for placing trust again in Bass' hands and heart.

Then they all grin because they know they will take care of the first take care of each other part, but the keeping the stupid down to a minimum...well, they are still a Matheson and Monroe. They will run into stupid if trouble won't find them first.

'Well, I need a drink.' Miles informs them, raising a hand at the waitress.

Then he has to watch how Bass tries to move his arm over his niece's shoulder, right there in fucking public. Charlie rolls her eyes at Bass and his ego and pushes his arm away with annoyance in her eyes. It makes Miles snort and realise something. If someone is able to handle Bass, it is her.

Charlie then informs her uncle and his best buddy she needs a drink now too. But she is not going to wait for some waitress. She is going to get it herself at the bar.

She has gotten up from their table and has swings her hips over to the bar to grab them a bottle.

Looking back over her shoulder only to watch Bass look at her ass and Miles kicking him under the table with his boots for doing just that. Hard. She smiles at both men, ordering drinks with that smile still there at the bar. For those men, her men, and for the fact that everything is the same between them. Well not everything, as she feels Bass' yes back on her and she realises she does not want them on any other woman anymore. It's them now. For real.

So that's how everything had been settled. Her mom had been a whole other story when Charlie decided to flat out tell her, but Charlie was done with her shit.

She had not stepped away from her mother when she had started her flow of accusations. She had told Rachel she understood how she felt, but that she had made a choice. Rachel had to just shut up the moment Charlie put the emphasis on that word. Because Rachel knew, she had made many choices herself, and Charlie had been another victim in many of them. But Charlie refused to be one. She refused to stop living her life the way she believed was right. So she was done taking Rachel's shit. She was happy.

There had been fights, family who was not happy with their being together. There had been nightmares and soothing arms to wake up into after many horrible images in the nights, there had been more of their mind-blowing fucks, there had been their first love making. Old hurt, new hurt. Old fights and new battles.

But there was and still is forgiveness. Loyalty. And love. Much never changing strength between Bass and Charlie.

Life has brought them here, to this ordinary Tuesday afternoon with Charlie on the couch with a letter in her hand and Bass going through reports and whiskey.

'We haven't seen Anthony in a while' Bass contemplates, looking up from the report that is starting to making him want a fucking drink. His eyes now eveywhere but on her.

'Yeah, he is probably busy preparing for another wedding, somewhere.' Charlie smiles absentmindedly, her eyes still on the paper. Many good memories from that one week more than two years ago are rushing back to her.

She misses Anthony. He sends her a letter every now and then with stories that bring a smile to her face. The paper in her hand has his handwriting, his flowing handwriting on faded paper that arrived in the mail this morning.

Bass loves watching her opening those letters. Curled up on the couch, her eyes on the words on the paper in her slender hands.

Charlie looks at Bass, sitting on the corner of his desk. A small thought of how good he looks when Bass is concentrating on that one report. He _is_ looking at her now, with burning intensity.

'Maybe you could write him, ask him if he has time to do ours too?' Bass heart hammers into his chest as he slowly puts the report on his desk, pushing his tall body away from the corner of the desk.

He watches how Charlie starts to smile at first and then, he watches how his words truly sink into her heart.

He takes a deep breath, feeling like a stupid fucking moron. Scared out of his mind for what she will say next. He has already asked Miles for her hand. His brother telling him yes with a hug in tears in his eyes that were in his own as well. And now he is here, hsi chest crushing from fear and love at the same time. Wishing he had a fucking gun or whiskey in his hands to give him something to do. Preferably both. He walks over to her, to the place she has been sitting on the couch before the fire.

She looks at him with wide eyes.

'What...' Charlie breathes out, his words truly reaching her heart. 'Bass, what do you...'

She swallows, unable to finish any coherent thought. Being a true Matheson, the first things in her mind is to start to add some curse words. But she is not able to talk anymore.

He walks to her. He crouches down in front of her. Her slender body in between his wide thighs and knees.

'Baby, I need you. I love you. I want you at my side. Now. Tomorrow.' Bass says with a broken rough voice, tears shining through in his tone and in his eyes.

'Are you serious?' Charlie tries to hold in a sob, but she can't. Not when this man, when Bass and all that he means to her, after everything life has put him through is wide open before her. His hands so close to her.

'Serious as hell Charlie.' Bass tries nonchalance, but his eyes betray him, the small shiver in his voice too.

Charlie starts to cry, her tears warm over her cheeks, as they are blurring her vision. Bass takes her hands in his.

'Bass, I am not good at this...I...' She starts, wide blue eyes looking up at him.

'Well, than it is a good thing I am here, Charlotte.' He smiles through his eyes at her, and then his voice goes deep and serious and as a rock she can build on. And he remembers his heart that once was now afraid to love and protect. 'Don't worry babe, I've got you...' Bass cups her cheek now with his hand, pulling her close. She cries into his neck.

She nods, cries. Breathes in his scent. Holds on to him with her arms around his neck.

'Is that a yes? ' Bass chuckles softly as he holds her, her head in the crook of his neck.

'Oh Bass, it is a yes...' She kisses him, this time hard as he grabs her and pulls her into his embrace.

Now he is fucking crying. But he does not care. Because Charlie, she guides him through all of this shit. She does not take advantage of him when he is raw and open before her. She is strong, she is his equal. She has his back, gives him space when he needs to. Stubbornly follows him when she knows he needs someone.

Knows that he will lash out first before he will her in.

She does all of that, knowing all of him and yet she is still here. She came back for him in New Vegas once to save his ass. Maybe she never even left. She won't ever mess with his heart as they are not only survivors, but learn how to live life again together too. She at his side, he at his.

Charlie is sobbing as Bass holds her. She is already wrapping herself around him, asking for more, his body answering all of her needs. She needs him naked, she needs him in between her thighs. Bass' urgent hands tell her he needs to same. Charlie needs his strength and warm skin against hers skin to tell her this is real. .

And then, Charlie stops him.

'Bass?'

'Yeah babe,' Bass kisses her neck.

'You can have a stripper at your Bachelor party, but if you touch her, I _will_ kill you.' She throws him that smirk of hers that means certain death by her knife or crossbow if he dares to be an asshole.

Bass chuckles again, 'Whatever you say Charlotte. Whatever you say.'

They make love with eager hands that slows down to gentle eyes only to start the fire all over again.

It is not until they move back to the couch, panting and smiling, that a small box falls out of Bass' pants. He grins at her, apologies to her as he opens the small box. A warm golden ring in a kind of gold Charlie has never seen before in a down to earth circle is inside.

'You forgot the ring?' Charlie grins, as Bass sees her eyes sparkle, telling him how much she loves the simple but stunning ring he found in some shop in Austin.

'Dammit woman, you were the one who could not wait to get me out of my damn pants.' Bass barks with a teasing voice, his wide ego smirk around his lips. Leave it up to Charlie to start some banter after he just fucking proposed to her.

Charlie is relieved that nothing is changed, that there is still banter from hell between them. Her eyes light up and she is face to face with bass. Then a lazy smile creeps around her lips.

'Well, I did not know there would be a ring in there...'

She lets out a giant shriek when Bass spins her around and moves her to his chest, pins her to the couch and kisses her deeply. He then gently moves the ring around her finger. Charlie just smiles as Bass settles in behind her and moves back against his chest, wrapped in his arms and with a simple perfect ring around her finger.

'I love the colour Bass.' Charlie says deep in thought, looking at the gold of the ring that Bass placed on her hand.

Bass chuckled happily in her air, his arms wrapped around her as Charlie is sitting in between his thighs. Naked, warm, a couch. Just them.

'It reminded me of you baby,' his voice is serious all of a sudden. Charlie plays with the finger around her finger, the fire in the fireplace adding more depth to its colour. She relaxed deeper into his embrace. Feeling his chest against her back.

'It reminded me of your tanned skin,' he kisses her shoulder and neck, 'It remembered me of your hair swinging in a fight. It remembers me every damn time of how you brought me back.'

She hears the low deep love in his voice. She knows he is just not talking about the day she had brought him back to Willoughby. And tears for how she is seen by him, and loved, and respected find their way to her blue eyes.

Truth is, he has brought her back to. In so many ways, on so many days. She turns her head. And she watches Bass. ' I love you...' She says it without too much softness that is not her. Her words are strong. And filled with love.

Charlie knows how to love. He swallows. He dips his head, making her face him. He will say it to her for the first time. Hell, he has not said this in over a god damn decade. He needs to look at her when he does.

'I love you Charlotte.' His voice is raspy and strong as his wide arms and his movements in battle. As his love for family, as his need to protect and keep it safe.

Charlie feels a strong lush warm wave flowing right through her. A man loves her. Bass loves her. She watches him, reaches for the back of his head with a warm hand that move through his curls.

'It's you and me now baby.' Bass says to her, his voice strong and warm. Charlie gives him a nod with her eyes without nodding, her mouth slightly open, her lips slightly parted. He kisses her. She kisses him, slowly, gently. She needs to tell Bass how much a part he is of her.

Bass feels her subtle lips as he takes her mouth with his own. And then Charlie looks at up at him, so damn beautiful, a warm smile in her eyes.

Bass sees in her eyes she is here. With him. For him. Within his reach, in his arms. In his heart. Letting him be the family she knows he needs, wants, craves to love. Knowing he is hers. He plays with her hair, slowly brushing his fingers through it as Charlie leans back into him and they watch the fire and feel the other. And he knows, he feels in every damn fibre of his body she won't _ever_ leave him. Just like he won't leave _he_ r. Ever. It's them now.

* * *

 **Author's note Hey guys, this was the last regular chapter. There will be one more, an epilogue! Thank you so much for your reviews for last chapter. Some of you were very curious about Miles' reaction and well, I loved writing that in this chapter. Your feedback made me realise I wanted to write that scene in much more detail, so I went back and added more to that scene. Thank you for your feedback! Because of that I know what works, and what is speaking to you. I very much appreciate that. I will have one more part of the story for you...soon! Love from Love**


	11. Epilogue

Epiloque

So, that autumn Bass watches the stripper on his bachelor party, but does not touch her just the way he has promised Charlie the afternoon he proposed.

Making Charlie promise him the same thing. He wants her to have fun but he will personally kill or order to have the asshole killed who dares his future wife. He is going to be a married man but fuck, he won't ever change that part that is him.

It is a Bachelor party his kid, Miles and even Staypuft had put together for him. Aaron. Not staypuft. Not anymore. Sometimes when they both get drunk and pissed at the other there is some harsher Monroe or dick from Aaron or a Staypuft from Bass. But the next morning it is already forgotten. The way they both care about one woman never is.

Anthony storms into the kitchen door three days before the wedding with a loud 'I knew it!' booming though their home. 'Come here and let me congratulate you wonderful beautiful people.'

Making Miles pissed and Rachel looking coldly at him for knowing what was going on and never telling them one thing about it.

But neither of the almost newest newlyweds in town cares as even Bass greets Anthony with a slap on his shoulders after Anthony kissed Charlie on both of her cheeks. And maybe Anthony holds on to Bass' biceps a little bit too long when he wishes Charlie and him all the luck in the world.

But Charlie is in a good mood and decides not to give Anthony shit for holding on a bit too long an too tight to her man.

After the congratulations Anthony's face turns into pure focus as he rams his wedding organizer on the table and starts to bark orders again. Making Miles grunt something in agony from a hangover from last nights' whiskey with Bass.

Anthony is rolling his eyes at Miles after which he ignores him again. Connor walks into the kitchen with a grin.

'Oh look at you, hello.' Anthony says with the same admiration in his eyes from a couple of years ago when he had first met Connor in the kitchen when they had been preparing Aaron's wedding.

Connor grins at him as he greets the other man. But then he holds up his hand, showing him a wedding ring on his finger. 'I don't think Mrs. Bennett would be happy with this flirting Anthony.' Connor grins in good spirits at Anthony.

'So, all the good ones _are_ taken.' Anthony sighs with a dramatic sigh. And then looks up at him. 'Congratulations hon.'

'Thanks.'

'So, I'll put her on the guest list then...'

'Thanks again.' Connor smiles at him and then shares a grin with his dad and Miles, who are amusing themselves a little bit too much.

And then Anthony starts shouting about 'the impossible short notice' as he yells an 'oh the drama indeed' with glee in his eyes and then followed by ' _a let's move people' with_ an intensity not even Rachel dares to mess with.

* * *

Bass knows it is tradition to not see the bride before the wedding day, but he tells Miles to go fuck himself as he climbs up and into the window of their bedroom window anyway. He loved the Bachelor party and hell, he is not going to lie, he loved the stripper.

But now he needs one woman and one woman alone as he is cursing at how much easier this was when he was fifteen and climbed up a window for some girl in his class. He tries to remember her name through his drunken haze. Curses some more when he almost slips and loses his balance.

It is making Miles snort and yell at him at the same time.

'Hell, you moron, you are not fifteen anymore, trying to get into Amy's whatsherlastname bedroom.'

'You know dad, you could have used the front door...' Connor yells after his dad when Miles moves his hand to his eyes to hide his laughter.

'Fuck you,' Bass looks at Miles, before he looks at his kid, 'And fuck you.' He grunts before victory is his and he stands in his own god damn bedroom.

Connor and Aaron drag Miles home as Bass stumbles through their bedroom. Bass finds Charlie already waiting for him.

'You morons had a good time?' She smirks.

'One hell of a time, baby.' He moves his hair around her cheek and grabs her.

'You?'

'Priscilla got very drunk and got into a fight with my mom who could to but an old dollar bill into the very tiny panties of the stripper.'

Bass grins and then looks serious at her, Charlie can taste and smell his whiskey and jealousy.

'I never touched him, Bass. Not when I have this and all of you...,' she looks with her raised eyebrow at him and his groin with a look that is already making him hard, '..waiting for me at home.'

They make love that night twice.

* * *

They say yes to each other _, in words and through vows,_ the next day, because with their actions and eyes they have already said yes endless times even when they had not been ready to tell each other. This time Charlie wears a breathtaking white dress that Anthony handpicked for her. It flows like silk, and is soft white on her tanned skin. Bass has to swallow when she walks towards him, her arm around Miles' arm as he moves her to his oldest dearest friend.

Charlie Matheson marries Sebastian Monroe under a tree with golden leaves in the garden of Aaron and Priscilla Pittman.

Their first little girl born about nine months after the wedding in Aaron's arms, pointing at Bass and Charlie who say I do to the other. Aaron looks with pride at his girl when he cries without any shame at Charlie finding her happiness. That it is with Monroe is something he has accepted a very long time ago now.

Connor and Miles are standing right next to Bass when he says his yes to Charlie. Both men he loves so much. His family, his insides. Both of them his best man. He cannot do it any other way. He had fear in his gut when he told Connor he would want both of them there at his wedding, but Connor had just pulled him in for a hug between father and son with tears in his eyes. Telling him he understood and wanted the same.

It was a moment of hope, of hope of knowing his kid was here to stay. Connor had patted his dad firmly on the back as Bass just held on to his kid, Connor letting him lock into his strong embrace. Tears in his eyes for knowing that they would never be broken and separated again through the past or hurt hearts. It was them now, together through blood and love. Father and son.

Aaron is Charlie's best man. When Aaron watches Charlie say I do to Monroe, bonding his heart to hers forever, he smiles and he needs to brush his glasses with the corner of his jacket, because they are brushed with tears. And he knows, his life would not have been the same without her in it.

Bass smiles at Miles who is not being a total dick and pulls Bass in for a brotherly hug after the ceremony. He has not even let Bass go when he grabs Charlie too and holds them both. Tears in his eyes and three hearts beating for the other and family.

'Go and be happy...' Miles says with a roughly voice, trying to keep his emotions in check.

Bass just moves his hand on his shoulder as Charlie presses a light kiss on her uncle's dark scruff.

Connor hugs Charlie and his dad after Miles steps back and actually finds Rachel waiting for him. Her arm around his lower back as Miles steps next to Rachel and her eyes a more gentle blue than he has seen in a very long time.

Both Monroe men are hugging, holding on to the other as Charlie gives them their moment together, as Bass ruffles Connor's hair the way he still does. Then a small boy with dark curls grabs Connor's leg and starts pulling at the fabric of his pants.

'Hey little fella...' Connor's voice is raspy with emotions too, his words gentle and his eyes filled with proud love for the little boy he moves into his arms.

A beautiful young woman stands next to him. Smiling at her two guys. Connor moves little Timmy into his arms, as he proudly holds his wife and kid, _his family._ Timmy points at Bass, then at Charlie and then at the food behind them, waiting at the table.

'That's right little man.' Bass smiles at his grandchild. 'Kid has a good grip on priorities.' Bass says with a wide grin, sharing being almost always hungry with the newest addition to the Monroe men.

'Come here, kid.' Timmy's little arms reach out for Bass, smiling and screaming with delight when he is being held by Bass. Moving his thumb in his mouth and one small hand grabbing Bass' shirt with a tired look in his eyes and head moving under Bass' chin.

Bass' eyes swell with pride and he looks from his grandchild to Connor. He shares a look with his son. Connor had some wild years. He slept around, let his anger and hurt rage out, spending time alone. Let his demons come out and found out that his dad was still there, waiting for him when he was ready. That Miles was not that bad. That Charlie was a good friend.

He found out that after long years of being alone, he did not have to. That he had a place to be. He is married now himself, seeing his child grow up. They came a long way. But now they are here. After everything. Together. Both Monroe men sharing one thing that will bind them through time.

Family.

And there is nothing they won't do for their family.

One more look, one more nod between two men as Connor lets his dad hold everything that is filling his heart with pride and love. His son. Another one on the way when he is smiling at Isa, his wife and friend all in one.

They eat, they dance, they kiss. Touch. Laugh. With the people around them they love and love them, matter what.

Aaron turns Priscilla when they dance to the music of some people from town who offered to make music for their day in the soft light of the autumn day. Aaron laughs at something Priscilla says. Their daughter plays in the garden, chasing butterflies. Timmy sits with Connor and has his little thumb in his mouth after a giant piece of wedding cake is now in his belly, when his father, _his hero already and never far away_ , has an arm protectively around him and Isa. Rachel and Miles share a drink, Rachel leaning into his knees as Miles sits on a chair near a fire and Rachel sits with bare feet in the grass.

And Charlie, Charlie leans into her husband's chest. A kiss not far away, a soft one on her temple.

'I love you Mrs. Monroe.' Bass teases her. She is his, but she is and always will be her, a Matheson.

'I love you too, you moron.' She teases back, letting him kiss her . 'Bass..' she corrects herself.

Their story is not a normal story, as far as stories are ever normal. Theirs is not a straightforward love story from many movies now almost forgotten.

But their story, a story that belongs to all of them in that garden, is a story of love.

Maybe these people faced odds they should not have. Maybe they should not have found each other on the long road anymore. But it happened nevertheless and it won't be easy, but it will be love. Because it is already that. Just that. Love.

Anthony looks around, and he smiles as he finds Charlie leaning into Bass. He feels tears himself and hushes them away.

'Congratulations Char!' he kisses her with deep love on her cheek. They share a look of friendship while Bass is watching them.

He is still single, but later he will meet a man at her wedding , a guest from town who arrives late with new drinks, send over by the owner of the local bar as a wedding gift. And a new story of love will begin there too.

'Thanks Anthony.' Charlie says softly.

Later, Antony finds beautiful glasses for a toast as he moves cool wine into glasses that shine because of the autumn late sun. The wine almost golden in the last late light. Small candles are lit in glass jars, standing on the porch and hanging in the trees in the garden under where they all celebrate.

Rachel stands with her arm around Miles back, Miles is holding her close. Connor stands with his wife and little Timmy on his arm next to Aaron, Priscilla and their little girl. The wedding is small and without any kind of pink shit, just like Charlie has requested with a firm eye on her mom before the preparations had begun.

'Time for the toast!' Anthony yells with a smile and looking forward to his favourite part: the toast with some exquisite wine. He is carrying a silver plate with glasses filled with wine in them, arranged with love on the plate as he walks from the kitchen down the steps of the porch and into the garden.

Everyone has a glass in their hand. Well, everyone except Charlie. She almost blushes when Anthony starts to reach out with a glass for her in his hand and she is about to shake her head and tell him no.

'Oh..my..god...CHAR..' Anthony starts to yell '...you are pregnant?' Anthony yells out as he lets the silver plate clatter to the ground.

All eyes are again on her, just like that one day in that one horrible pink ugly dress she wore for Aaron when he had gotten had gotten married.

But she only needs and wants and craves one pair of eyes. She wants to see blue eyes that belong to her guy she has locked eyes with so many times now. Charlie eyes fill with tears. She had planned on telling Bass tonight, she had just found out herself.

Bass looks shocked. And then he moves his hand over her arm in a heartbeat. 'Are you...you are pregnant Charlie?'

'Yeah, Bass..I am. ' She moves her hand to his, taking it with her as she is guiding his hand for the first time over to meet their son or daughter. His hand with hers wrapped over it now on her belly.

Everyone is quiet around her . Bass feels her belly and is trying to realise what she is telling him. That new life is beating under their hands.

He looks at Charlie. Knowing Connor and Miles are right there to share this moment with him and Charlie. He is at a loss for words.

She is going to give him a family. More family. And this time, he will be there from the start. He will be there with her to greet their child. He will be there to do his very best, giving them all his all.

It keeps on going through his mind as he swallows and tears start to fill his eyes.

'Hell, Charlie...' Bass smiles at he, realisation setting in.

Charlie will never forget the raw and loving and gentle and heartmoving storm of emotions she watches in Bass' eyes.

A first hesitant smile breaking through, the way only Bass can melt you. Her whole chest filling with warmth.

Bass looks at Charlie, his partner, his friend, his family, his lover, his wife. And now, the mother of his child. Their child.

Even Miles and Connor are starting to get a bit blurry at so much honest affection from Bass and Charlie. For their being genuine happy for the both of them. Both men thankful for a glass in their hand as the woman around them are filled with happiness for the news that a new boy or girl will be filling the garden outside with more laughter and smiles.

Rachel looks at her daughter. Seeing Charlie, there. Seeing her for who she is for the very first time. Knowing she will be an amazing mother. Her daughter. Strong. And happy. Miles presses her close. 'Congratulations grandmom.' Rachel smiles through her eyes as she buries her head into Miles' shirt. Miles comforts her as Rachel gives Charlie and Bass time to celebrate the way they should. Together.

Aaron looks at Charlie, as she is standing there in her white dress with new life inside of her.

He thinks of Ben. And Danny. At how very proud they are at Charlie. For moving on, for getting up again and being too stubborn to not find new hope or love again. Because he refuses to believe that love is now gone, he refuses to believe that both Danny and Ben, Nora and Maggie and everyone dear to them are not still with them, because they carry them all inside their hearts.

As long as they do that, love is not lost.

And then with their whole family there with them and watching them with a glass in their hand to toast to them , toast to Bass and Charlie and their happiness and love, and new life and family, Bass pulls Charlie into his arms with love and gentleness and need to feel her close. To protect her, to shield her. To love her. With Charlie, it is impossible to do anything else.

It has been that way from the start when it came to her. Her. Charlie. His. He gave her life, he gives her love, love and family and a life he thought would be forever lost the day after the global blackout he had lost his wife and child. He feels them, somewhere in his heart, and for the first time he can think of them both, knowing they are a part of him. Safe within him, carried with him through time.

And he thinks about the new life, their new life, inside of her belly as Bass moves her into his arms and lifts her high in the air as he holds her close. And right before he kisses her, her wedding dress moves in the autumn breeze and her belly with new life caresses his wide strong warm chest that is home to them both. Surrounded by his brother. Miles with an arm easy around Rachel. His kid. Connor, Timmy and Isa. Aaron, and Priscilla. And their little girl. He can feel his dad, his mom, his sisters, their love through time and wishing him and Charlie well. He can feel them all in that one blinding moment when he watches Charlie smiling at him, high in his arms, safely with him, his love, his wife, his everything.

And her dress moves in the autumn air, with her golden blonde hair and soft smile and blue eyes, and their eyes find each other in golden autumn light.

* * *

 **So, here we are, letting the story come to an conclusion with love and golden autumn moments. I really wanted to give them that here, and I hope you enjoyed the story. I wanted to write a love filled story, to celebrate all my favourite characters within the story of Revolution, I love so very much. That, together with a hint of wedding and romance, is what this story is all about to me. Thank you so much for reading and all the ways you support me through writing. You are all amazing. Wishing you love, Love from Love**


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